Destiny's Game
by blueicequeen
Summary: Naruto found sanctuary in the presence of ill repute women. Kakashi found salvation in the presence of an ill repute young woman. In the least expected place, two damaged souls meet for a future neither expected. Kakashi/Fem!Naruto
1. Bring Out The Players

**Pairing : Kakashi x Fem!Naruto**

**Summary : **

**Naruto found sanctuary in the presence of ill repute women. Kakashi found salvation in the presence of an ill repute young woman. In the least expected place, two damaged souls meet for a future neither expected. **

**Warnings : None in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer : I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.**

**Author's Note : **

**Hey guys! I actually started this story over a year ago and have been editing it every time the mood hits me. I was tempted to write a really really long one shot but decided to break this story down to either two or three chapters. A word of caution: This is purely a romance story. I want to explore the relationship between Naruto and Kakashi in this piece. So while I might add a mission or two, I won't spend so much time or any time on Akatsuki or Orochimaru. Also, the story only touches on the Naruto timeline to show the passing of time. There are some elements of the story that was inspired by 'Naruto's Secret' by Cerebella Kennor. That was also a well written story and I enjoyed reading it.**

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. It has been so long since I have written and I am afraid that I have become somewhat rusty. Do forgive my grammatical and spelling errors. I also hope the story is promising enough for me to continue. Feel free to review and tell me what you guys think about this. **

**Have fun reading! **

**Destiny's Game**

**Bring Out the Players**

The red light district was as busy as usual. Brothels were wide open and the best girls stood by the door, enticing customers to come in. Bars and tea houses were brightly lit. Men of all stations in life could be seen walking in and out of the establishments. Skimpily dressed women could be seen offering their services at darker corners.

In one particular brothel, a golden haired sixteen year old girl was dressed in dark clothes and washing the dishes at the back. Her sapphire gems took no notice of the women rushing around the brothel getting dressed and prepping up before heading to the main hall to entertain customers. The blossoming woman kept cleaning up the dirty dishes and once satisfied, she rose to put them away.

Despite her enticing figure, the young woman was not one of the girls in the brothel. Despite her looks, she was not sixteen either. Despite her appearance, she was not what she seemed like.

Indeed the young woman was known to the public as eleven year old Uzumaki Naruto, a short spiky blonde haired, blue eyed, orange-loving, boisterous boy. In private, Uzumaki Naruto was truly an eleven year old girl who loved orange but not in excess, enjoyed reading especially historical texts, loved training despite the blatant sabotage of her education and enjoyed cooking despite rarely being able to purchase edible groceries. To the women at the brothel, she was sixteen year old Ruka, their helper. They knew who she truly was but as all of them knew how hard life was for the young girl and they took her into their protection.

Due to her ability to cook and clean, Naruto, managed to offer her services to the Mother of the brothel. The woman in charge, Kaede-san, was a 40-year-old woman, whose beauty has yet diminished. She still held the beauty of her youth and it could be seen from the way she conducted herself that Kaede-san was a woman of elegance. Despite running a brothel, Kaede trained her girls to be the epitome of beauty, grace and elegance. She took a liking to the waif-like child who had at one point of her life, hidden behind the trash to escape from the mob after her. Kaede had taken Naruto in, cleaned her up and gave her a job. She could already see the desire for death in the eyes of the four-year-old child and her heart broke at the stolen childhood.

Oh, she definitely knew whose child Naruto was. Once or twice, she had seen Namikaze Minato hesitantly following his shinobi comrades into her brothel. The man had never requested for a girl to entertain him and always left before it was too late at night. On one of his visits, Kaede was asked to serve Minato-sama as a gift from his friends. He had smiled softly and requested her to serve tea. He had then chatted with her, asking her about her life and told her a few funny anecdotes of his own adventures.

The romantic child in Kaede's heart had a massive crush on the man, just like every other woman in the village. Namikaze Minato was a man who was going somewhere. He was polite, funny, cheerful and respectful. Despite her profession, he had never once treated her like she was beneath him. In the deepest part of her heart, she entertained the notion of him taking her away from this life. All in one meeting.

But even she knew that was a pipe dream. Behind Minato-sama, one woman stood true. Uzumaki Kushina. And no matter how beautiful or well-mannered Kaede was, even she could see why Minato-sama was attracted to the Whirlpool refuge. Kushina-san was gorgeous, with her fiery red hair, and passionate. She too took no notice of the women in brothels and always treated them to a smile or a grin.

Together, they made a beautiful couple and together they made a beautiful child.

It mattered not to Kaede that Naruto held the Kyuubi no Yoko. If Minato-sama and Kushina-san had sacrifice their lives to seal the demon in Naruto, Kaede trusted the demon to be tightly held behind bars. It was a pity no one else shared her sentiments. Naruto was the best of both her parents and because of the village's foolishness, she was forced to wear more than one mask to protect herself.

Kaede had kept an eye on Naruto since she was four and for the past seven years, she had tutored the child in art of being a woman. Naruto could walk and talk as well as a well-breed woman. She knew how to hold herself like a daughter of a clan. She had tutored Naruto in calligraphy, painting, flower arrangements, singing, dancing, history, politics and accounting. Naruto had taken the lessons like duck to water and the child had flourished under Kaede's eyes. Kaede hoped that this would be enough. As long as the child had a safe haven and people who cared, Naruto would not look like she was inviting death to take her.

Naruto too was smart. Before, she would sneak in and hide away from suspicious eyes. Ever since she learned the Henge no Jutsu, Naruto had transformed into an older woman and came to the brothel. When Kaede saw Naruto's henge the first time, she had given her the name 'Ruka', which meant blue flower after Naruto's eyes.

It was a busy day at the brothel. A team of high ranking shinobi had returned to Konoha and decided to visit the red light district to relax. Kaede's brothel was one of the shinobi's favorite places as it looked very well kept and the girls were beautiful and well trained in both mind and body. Kaede knew that some customers, such as the late Yondaime Hokage, preferred intellectual company instead of a warm body and as such prepared her girls to ensure that they could debate well with others.

Today though, with the unexpected company of the eight shinobi, Kaede was worried that she did not have enough girls to entertain the men and they would become harder to control. And true enough, she could hear displeasure at the lack of service by some of them.

She slipped to the back, hoping that some of the girls had gone there to rest but saw none. The only other person was Naruto and the thought of sending her young charge out there chilled her to the bones.

So she returned to the main hall and greeted the latest costumers who were served by five of her girls.

"Greetings, sirs. I hope everything is to your satisfaction," Kaede bowed low as she watched the shinobi closely.

A stocky man blew out his cigarette and nodded. "We are fine, Kaede-san. Though if you can find someone for the social moron there it would be much appreciated."

Kaede looked up to take in the tall lanky form of a very well known figure. "Hatake-san, my apologies for not having someone serve you."

Hatake Kakashi, a 24 year old well known jounin simply eye-smiled. "It is fine, Kaede-san. I am not looking for a companion to spend the night with."

The boos and curses from the rest of his party was very telling. One of the jounin, who wore a bandanna grinned. "Even if you do not want to sleep with anyone, Kakashi, at least spend some time with a girl. As far as any of us know, you barely indulge the opposite sex. Don't listen to him, Kaede-san. If you have a girl who is willing to even discuss the weather with him, we will be willing to pay."

"Yeah. This moron would probably say no to everything. His laziness is only matched by the Nara men."

Laughter rang out while the jounin simply took out a well read orange book and placed it before his face.

"Do whatever you want," he muttered as he focused on his favorite literature.

Kaede saw the oldest member of the group, a jounin whose name she did not know discretely nod towards Kakashi and nodded back. She understood that the lot wanted someone to keep Kakashi company tonight.

The only woman she could bring out was Naruto.

Kaede considered her options for a while and nodded thoughtfully. As long as it was simply for a conversation, she was sure Naruto would be fine with Kakashi.

"I do have a girl behind. However, she is in no position to entertain you throughout the night. However, if it was just for a couple of hours of conversation, I am sure she will suit your needs," Kaede informed the jounin.

Kakashi frowned mentally. He wanted to refuse her offer but knew that the men would not let him. As long as the girl kept to herself and did not annoy him, he was sure he would be fine.

"Very well. I would like her to serve tea and hold a conversation with me."

"It would take some time to get her ready. I hope you do not mind the wait, kind sir?"

Kakashi shook his head in relief. "No, that's fine."

Kaede nodded, bowed and left. She walked over to the back and wondered how she was going to persuade Naruto to serve as a girl that night. She saw Naruto resting by the side after cleaning up and smiled sadly. With a sigh, she approached the girl.

"Ruka-chan?"

Naruto's Ruka form looked up to Kaede and smiled invitingly. "Mother."

"Ruka-chan, I have a favor to ask of you."

Ruka nodded encouragingly. "We are short of girls tonight, Ruka and one of our customers need a conversation partner. Would you mind entertaining him?"

Ruka frowned worriedly. "Would I need to sleep with him, Mother?"

Kaede shook her head. "I would not do that to you child. No, you just need to hold a conversation with him. The shinobi is a well known jounin by the name of Hatake Kakashi. He is not hard to miss as he is the only one with his face covered and his hitai-ate slanted to cover his left eye. He rarely sleeps with our girls and prefer to simply indulge in a round of drinking with a conversation companion before he leaves for the night. It looks like tonight his friends are insisting on a girl whether he wants one or not. So in terms of sleeping with him, it is not necessary."

Ruka nodded. "Very well, Mother. As long as I do not need to sleep with him, I am willing to entertain him tonight. I could definitely use the money. The darn landlord overcharged me once more."

The older woman sighed sadly and nodded her head. Both of them stood up and headed over to one of the rooms so that Ruka could change into something more suitable.

As this was not a tea house, the girls were dressed more casually. As such, Ruka slipped into a yukata made of a gorgeous combination of dark and light blue with red obi. Kaede helped to do her hair, which was held in a messy bun. They put some make-up on her face and dabbed some scented oil before Ruka slipped a fan and a knife into her sleeves.

Kaede smiled when she saw the final product and thought Kakashi would be a fool to reject Ruka's presence. The young woman was truly gorgeous. Her natural beauty was highlighted with such simple touch ups. She nodded to Ruka and together they made their way back to the main hall and to the large group.

Kakashi had expected quite a number of things when Kaede mentioned a girl not in service that night. None of his thoughts came close to the vision who followed Kaede to his side. He was aware of his friends staring at the young woman in surprise and was pleased to note their slight jealousy.

"Please forgive my tardiness," she murmured softly as she bowed low before him.

She was very young, perhaps only fifteen or sixteen years old. She was probably new and also not broken in, which explained Kaede's decision of keeping her in. She was also very beautiful. Her golden locks which escaped her artfully messy bun curled around her face enticingly. She had a small nose and full lips. Her eyes were a deep enchanting cerulean blue. From her yukata, he could see that she had a generous figure for her age.

Physically, she was beyond pleasing. Intellectually, he hoped she would not put him to sleep.

He nodded at her and ushered her away from his leering friends, all who had their hands at very intimate places of the companions.

They sat apart at a corner and she quietly asked for his tea of choice and offered to bring some sake. Kakashi refused the offer for sake and asked for some green tea instead. He did not wish to get drunk as he had an early morning meeting with the Sandaime tomorrow.

"May I know your name," Kakashi finally asked as he glanced at her from his book.

She smiled softly and nodded. "I am Ruka. It's a pleasure to meet you, kind sir. May I know how to address you?"

"You may call me Hatake-san for now."

"Hatake-san, interesting literature you have there," Ruka commented with a smile as she nodded her head at the orange book.

Kakashi raised a single eyebrow. "Yes. It is one of my favorites."

"I prefer history myself. It is always fascinating to read about the triumphs and folly of our past."

"Oh? Do you follow the history of Konohagakure alone?" he asked, just a touch interested as he realized the young woman barely flirted with him. It seems she was serious about having purely a conversation with him.

"No. I usually follow any historical material I can get about the elemental continents. They are a fascinating read. My passion is centered around our third shinobi war. As the latest war, it has the biggest impact on the continent."

Now, Kakashi was openly interested. As one of the shinobi who fought beside the fourth hokage in the war, he wondered what a civilian would think of it. "Why do you find it fascinating?"

Ruka smirked inwardly at his interest but kept a small smile on her lips. "Well, for one, unlike the first two wars, the third was has managed to give us 14 years of respite. The efforts of our Yondaime had frightened other nations to staying away from us. Despite how bloody it was over all, we had more shinobi coming home than other nations. That in itself showed others not to mess with Konoha. True, every major village brags about the quality of their shinobi but from history, you have to admit, even the best missing nin come from Konoha. Though what that tells us about our village is debatable."

Kakashi grinned beneath his mask. The woman was truly interesting. She was not afraid to share her opinion despite how others might take offence in it. She was also very perceptive. He wondered how many connected the worst missing nins to Konoha. The latest was Uchiha Itachi, after all. A prodigy of the Uchiha clan, he had slaughtered his family and tortured his brother to near comatose state and fled the village. He was a prime example of Konoha's finest.

"What are your thoughts on the White Fang's treasonous action that caused the village quite a number of lives?"

Kakashi had no idea why he decided to ask about his father. He doubted the young woman would know that the White Fang was Hatake Sakumo so he felt relatively safe mentioning him. Still, he wondered why he opened himself to heartbreak by bringing up his father and his supposed betrayal to Konoha.

Ruka frowned. "History taught us that the White Fang abandoned the mission in order to save his comrades eventually leading to the deaths of a number of people, both shinobi and civilians. Personally, I find this to be highly suspect."

"Oh?" Kakashi asked nonchalantly.

This time, Ruka smirked. "I am no shinobi, Hatake-san. However, the one thing I know about Konoha is that we emphasize on teamwork. Every team put together was trained from young to watch each other's backs. To me, the White Fang should have been considered a hero. Despite abandoning his mission, he managed to bring back his team alive. In reality, with better intel, he should have been sent back with better backup to complete the mission or at least come as close to completing the mission. If what I have heard and read is right, the White Fang was practically made a sacrifice to the village just so that they could take their frustrations out on someone. He held on to the values that made Konoha strong and he was crucified for it. It was such a shame and even for his own team to turn their backs to him at his time of need shows that they did not understand the true meaning of being a Konoha nin."

Ruka stopped and blushed, realizing how much she had spoken. "Forgive me. I had not meant to go on like that. I just found the death of the White Fang to be sad and wasteful."

Kakashi was stunned. Ruka's thoughts on his father showed him how passionate she was. She was right as well, things could have gone differently. Yet everyone was looking for a scapegoat and that person happened to be his father. The silver haired nin smiled depreciatively. Even he had essentially abandoned his father during those days.

Seeing his closed off look, Ruka panicked. "Hatake-san, I am so sorry. I have no idea what I said to offend you. I do know that the White Fang is an open wound to Konoha nins. Forgive me for my forwardness."

Kakashi shook his head. "Iie. It is not your fault. I actually appreciate your thoughts and wished many more were like you. I was just thinking about the past."

Hesitantly, Ruka offered her own opinion. "It is fine to think of the past and to learn from it, Hatake-san. However, it is not wise to dwell on it. The past remains in the past. It is the present that will mould the future."

Kakashi laughed easily at that. "Maa, maa…perhaps. You are very good company, Ruka-san."

"Thank you, Hatake-san."

Kakashi drank his last cup of tea and rose. "I should be going now, Ruka-san. Thank you for your company, Ruka-san."

Ruka bowed low. "The pleasure is mine, Hatake-san."

"Goodnight," he wished easily and walked over to tell his friends that he was leaving.

Once Ruka was sure he was preoccupied with his friends, she slipped away from the main hall, unwilling to be there with the growingly rowdy crowd. In her sleeve was a pouch of coins left for us discretely by Hatake Kakashi.

Ruka grinned. The man was a good tipper. She would not mind picking his head if they ever meet again.

XXX

Kakashi had no idea why he felt like visiting the brothel once more. For the past two weeks, he was assaulted by images of messy blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes. Somehow, the last time he had been here, she had managed to sooth his heart with her talk. It was odd. They had spoken of nothing but war and yet he had felt at home with her.

Wasn't it ironic that the only woman to date to make him feel alive was from the red light district?

However, Kakashi could not get her out his head. His latest mission had been an assassination of a family and he could still see the terrified eyes of the three year old boy before he had snapped his neck. He had not been able to sleep or eat properly as usual with these kinds of missions. He needed a distraction and that distraction was in the form of Ruka.

He was greeted cheerfully by the girl at the front door and was ushered inside. It did not seem to be a busy day this time and the girl had asked him if he would like the company of a specific girl or any random one. Kakashi requested Ruka and saw the girl's eyes widen in alarm.

"I apologize kind sir but Ruka-san is not one of our girls. If you would like I can show you the others."

Kakashi frowned at that. "When I was here the last time, Ruka-san took care of me. I would like to ask for her once more."

Biting her lips uncertainly, she eyed the shinobi anxiously.

"Perhaps, I can get Mother. She might be able to help?"

Kakashi nodded and agreed to wait. Ruka was not one of the girls? He was sure that Ruka was the name of the girl who kept him company the other night. Why would this one claim she was not one of the girls? Is it because she had not completed her training? Or did something happened to the blue eyed woman?

"Hatake-san?"

Kakashi nodded to the woman. "Kaede-san. There seems to be a misunderstanding."

Kaede frowned. "Would you follow me this way? We can talk in private."

Kakashi nodded and wondered how troublesome the whole ordeal was. If he had not felt like talking to Ruka, he would have left long ago.

They sat facing each other and Kaede sighed internally.

"I heard you have been asking for Ruka-chan?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yes. She was a very good conversationalist. I would like to talk to her once more."

Kaede's eyebrows rose. "Just talk?"

The copy nin nodded. "Yes. I am not looking for bed mate at this moment, Kaede-san. Just a companion who is not afraid to let her thoughts known just because of who I am."

"To be truthful, Hatake-san, Ruka-chan is not one of my girls. She helped out the other day but she does not service the men here. If it is only for conversations, I can ask her if she is willing to entertain you. However, that decision will lie with her."

Kakashi nodded. "I understand. I will also be willing to pay extra for her services."

Kaede nodded. "Sayuri will lead you to your seat and if she agrees, I will lead Ruka-chan to you. However, you need to give me some time to get her ready."

Kakashi nodded once more. "I agree. Thank you for accommodating me."

Kaede bowed. "Thank you for understanding."

As Kaede left to find Ruka, she wondered how on earth the golden haired child had won another person to her side just by being herself.

Ruka was shocked. She had not expected to be called out again to service Hatake Kakashi. She had not expected to even see the man again. He was lucky he had come today instead of the past two days since she was busy being Naruto and keeping up her masks. However, Kakashi intrigued her and Ruka agreed to meet him once more.

"Hatake-san," she greeted him softly as she bowed before the shinobi in a white and pink yukata. It was a sweet piece, which made her look far more innocently alluring. Kakashi swallowed sharply.

"Ruka-san. It's a pleasure to see you again."

Her laughter tinkled in the air. "The pleasure is mine, Hatake-san. I was surprised to hear you ask for me again."

"Oh?"

This time, Ruka simply raised her eyebrows playfully before moving to serve his tea instead of answering his unasked question. They drank their tea in silence as Ruka studied the man before her.

Growing up in the red light district taught Ruka many lessons and one of them was the art of reading people. Naruto had used this gift to know who to avoid while Ruka had used it to keep her safe from the men around the district.

Studying Kakashi now, Ruka knew he was troubled and she also knew he was probably extremely stubborn and as such never saw anyone about his problem.

She hoped she would not be jinxing herself for poking at his problems.

"You seemed troubled, Hatake-san. Was it a tough mission?"

He blinked at the question before his eyes went painfully blank. Ruka almost winced but managed to control herself.

"I'm afraid I can't discuss mission specifics with civilians, Ruka-san."

Ruka hmmed. "I'm not asking for mission specifics, Hatake-san. I'm asking about your well-being. Forgive me if I seem very forward but you look as though you had not slept at all."

Kakashi was tempted to tell her to shut up but refrained. He wondered how far she would go to find out his problem. So he remained silent. Ruka huffed.

"Why do you think the Hokages on the monument look constipated?" Ruka asked, carefully timing her question when he took a sip of his tea.

Kakashi almost choked at the question and turned a disbelieving eye at the daring chit. Laughing blue eyes met his own and he found himself smiling at her audacity.

"Some would say they look distinguished."

"I would ask if they were blind."

"They look serious just as their position demands."

"They look like the position is a burden."

"No one said the position of a hokage is burden-free."

"I agree. I just thought if someone was going to immortalize my face on a mountain for everyone else to see, I would make sure I look pleasant enough."

Kakashi opened his mouth to reply and closed it without saying a word. He chuckled instead.

"You are incorrigible."

"Why, thank you, kind sir," Ruka replied with a laugh. They remained silent for awhile. This time it was more relaxed and Ruka said nothing to break it.

"Have you read the Icha Icha series?" he asked after awhile wondering what her reaction would be like.

"Are you asking me because I am a woman or because I am from here?" Ruka asked back, curious of his answer.

Kakashi said nothing for awhile before replying carefully. "Both?"

Ruka was not impressed by his hesitancy. "Really smooth, Hatake-san. Well, I have read the books."

He blinked. "Really?"

She gave him a rather unimpressed look. Kakashi laughed out loud. This woman was truly one of a kind. What on earth was she doing in this place? She would have flourished wonderfully outside this place.

"So what do you think of it?"

Ruka thought back to the days she read the book. She had actually approached some of the girls and asked them how true the contents of the book were. They had laughed and told her that while some of the contents were doable, not all were practical and some really needed nin skills to pull it off.

"It's not reality."

Kakashi nodded at the answer and the words flew out of his mouth before he could sensor them. "Sometimes fantasy is better than reality."

"Maybe," Ruka answered carefully, weighing her own experiences. "However, reality is also what we make out of it. Sometimes everything seems hopeless and all you want to do is to disappear into a hole somewhere and come out when it's all over. I just don't think I can stomach doing that."

"Why not?"

He wondered what she would say. His own experiences in life flashed painfully one after another. The deaths of his mother, father, Obito, Rin, Sensei and so many teammates and comrades. The pain of betrayal. The sound of mocking and jeering. The pain of needing to prove himself. The coppery scent of blood. The fear in a child's eyes.

"Because I want to be able to control my own reality. If I hide, others make the decisions for me. And those decisions might not be the best, you know."

"A shinobi's life…is full of death and pain and suffering. A shinobi has a higher chance to be tortured, raped and murdered. A shinobi has a higher probability to end up doing missions that would be condemned by civilians. When all of these happen, how could one not desire the chance to hide?"

The blonde haired woman took her time pouring out two cups of tea and refilling the snacks before she even thought to answer.

"It's true that a shinobi has life hard but no one has it easy. We are all forced to face Shinigami-sama at some point. For a shinobi, isn't death at a battlefield a worthy death for a warrior? While it is true it would be better to come home, isn't dying with the knowledge that you have done your best, satisfactory? In a way, you are still keeping your precious people safe. It is also true that shinobi end up with the most undesirable jobs but whether they accept a mission after knowing the parameters is their own choice, is it not? Even if it is not, hiding isn't going to solve anything. Offering a prayer for the life taken or helping out those less fortunate as a penance, wouldn't that be more of a balm to the soul. I am not a shinobi. I am unable to even comprehend the psychological impact on a shinobi's psyche. However, when I am down, I always find doing something with nature soothing. So I garden. Reading your book is not going to completely make it all go away. However much reality hurts, fantasy can never replace it."

Kakashi sighed tiredly. He found himself smiling beneath the mask. He was right to come here after all. Going to a shinobi mind healer has not helped in the least but simply talking to his little flower had relaxed him far more than he had ever expected.

"You have a unique way of looking at things."

"Life as you can see has not exactly been kind to me either. I found a home here but the outside world can still be scary."

They fell into a contemplative silence then before Kakashi tentatively spoke up.

"Ruka-san, if I may ask a favor?"

Curious cerulean orbs looked into his eye. "If it is within my power."

"Would you please spend the night with me?"

Kakashi had never seen anyone lose blood so fast before. The blonde looked extremely uncomfortable and frightened so he rushed to comfort her.

"Not in the sexual sense, Ruka-san. I understand that you do not entertain clients in your room. You just…soothe me. I have no idea why. All I ask is for you to lie beside me for a few hours as I try to get some sleep. I give you my word of honor that I will not lay a hand on you in a threatening manner."

To others it might seem weird that Kakashi was asking Ruka to sleep with him as a favor rather than simply paying her. However, the jounin realized that there was a very good possibility that Ruka was considered untouchable. He did not want to ruin that. Besides, Ruka made a wonderful companion and Kakashi did not want to destroy their easy going relationship. There was more to life than sex after all. The one thing Kakashi craved the most was companionship and he had not been able to find that until now.

Ruka bit her lips uncertainly. While she would love to help Kakashi, she was also very much aware that he was 13 years older than her with shinobi training to boot. If he so desires, in the room, he could overpower her easily. However, his tired and pained gaze tugged at her heartstrings and Ruka knew she was going to regret this someday.

"You will have to ask Mother. As long as you promise me that I do not need to…service you, I am willing to be your pillow for the night, Hatake-san."

His eye light up slightly and he nodded before rising. She led him to Kaede's office before asking him to wait as she informed Kaede of the situation.

Kaede could only groan internally at this development. She could already see that Kakashi was becoming infatuated with the young woman but therein lies the problem. Ruka was Naruto, an eleven year old, innocent, misjudged child. Sending her to sleep with a customer of Kakashi's caliber was like sending a rabbit to a tiger and hoping it would come out alive the next day.

"You have to understand, Hatake-san, Ruka is not for taking. You cannot lie with her."

Kakashi nodded. "I know and I understand your concern. However, I give you my word. I will not sleep with her. I just need to have her sleeping by me."

Kaede nodded reluctantly, charged for the bed and company and told Ruka to take him to the only empty room of the night, which happened to be the only one separated from the others. It was also tastefully decorated with nothing gaudy inside.

Kakashi nodded his thanks and walked in while Ruka bowed at Kaede in deference and saw the worry in the older woman's eyes. She smiled and hoped her confidence would divert the fear in Kaede-san's eyes. It worked somewhat but Ruka could still sense Kaede reluctance to leave.

Ruka slid the door shut and bolted it. She took a deep breath, turned behind to face Kakashi and saw the shinobi was already undressed and laid out the futon. Kakashi had removed his jounin vest and his top, exposing his white undershirt. Ruka gave him one uneasy look before she approached the older man. Although he had promised to keep things platonic, she was still a bit apprehensive of sleeping with the man.

As though Kakashi sensed her thoughts, he looked up at her standing figure and gave her his customary eye-smile. This only caused the girl to shake her head but she did relax and carefully sat down on the futon.

"How would you like to do this, Hatake-san?" she asked politely, waiting for his instruction. She was rather lost.

"Just lie down, Ruka-san. I promise I won't bite. And considering our latest position, I think you can safely call me 'Kakashi'."

It did not register to Ruka that she had been given the honor of addressing her client by name. Instead, she was more preoccupied with her current situation. She glared at the amusement she could hear in his voice and see in his eyes. The bastard really thought this was funny, coming to a brothel and having a call-girl refusing to put out. As much as she wanted to say something absolutely scathing, she bit her lips and lay down on the futon carefully.

In a move she could not see, Kakashi blew out the candles and left the room in darkness. Ruka felt him slipping into the futon and laying down beside her. Once he settled, he pulled the startled girl into his arms and held her close with a hand around her waist.

"Alright?" he asked softly. He did not enjoy forcing women to be in his company. Besides, he enjoyed Ruka's company. He did not want to unknowingly destroy this relationship.

"Yes," she whispered back. He nodded and did not expect more, his body relaxing suddenly at her closeness. Kakashi was pleasantly surprised when he slid into a deep sleep. His last thought before he fell unconscious was that he was right about her presence.

She was definitely a balm to his scarred soul.

XXX

Hatake Kakashi simply stared at his leader. He could not believe what the older man had done once more. He had actually assigned Kakashi a genin team once again. The silver haired jounin wondered if there was somewhere he could bang his head. In the Nara clan's famous words, "This is so troublesome."

"You have Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Uzumaki Naruto. Kakashi, I hope you understand what this means?"

Kakashi resisted the urge to take out his favorite orange book and use it to shield his face. He was also proud of the fact that he had managed to avoid rolling his eyes or faking a yawn. Instead, he controlled his features and nodded at the Hokage.

"I understand."

"Do you really?" The old man questioned and sighed. "Kakashi, the council will not allow Sasuke to fail. As the last Uchiha, they will expect him to pass the Genin test tomorrow. He is obsessed in becoming an avenger and the village's worship of him has only made him feel far too superior. In a sense, that is why Haruno is assigned to your team. As one of his fangirls, she would be there to boost his sense of superiority. Well, that and her mother insisted. Being in the council, she is becoming quite a pain. You also know Naruto. There are several reasons I have assigned Naruto to you, Kakashi. One, as Sasuke is expected to pass Naruto would not be forced to fail. Two, Naruto's work ethics would push Sasuke to work harder. Three, as the Kyuubi jinchuriki, I need someone I trust to watch him. Four, as his father's late student, I am trusting you with his education. Do you understand the severity of this situation, Kakashi?"

Kakashi straightened and nodded. "Hai, Sandaime-sama!"

XXX

"You look like the world is ending," an amused, musical voice came from the doorway.

Kakashi turned and smiled ruefully at the stunning young woman. He was actually starting to get rather worried about his attachment to her. For over a year, he has been coming to Kaede's establishment just to see Ruka. With every visit, a little of his soul was healed and a little of his sanity returned. Even his comrades had been commenting about how approachable he was. As shinobi, they had caught him going to the brothel often but he doubted any of them knew it was the mere companionship of the woman before him.

As he watched her approach him in their usual room, Kakashi had the strongest desire to simply grab the woman and show her how much she truly meant to him. The past year seemed almost like a dream. She was just perfect. She never flirted with him. She was brutally honest. She was painfully innocent. The darker side of him almost overwhelmed him with the desire to corrupt that innocence. He both loved and hated Ruka's innocence. The way her eyes would shine with childish glee when she debated with him or listened as he explained something was torturously adorable.

Kakashi already knew what his problem was. He was in love with the little sweetheart. Over the years, she had simply managed to win him over and he had not realized it at all. Unfortunately, with her current occupation and his own reputation, they were pretty much world's apart. While Kakashi rarely gave a damn about what others thought of him nowadays, he was still the clan head of his clan. Since he was the only member of his clan, Kakashi had not claimed his spot on the council. He just knew that it was too much of a headache. Besides, he never had the right temperament to deal with idiots. However, as a clan head he was expected to marry a respectable woman if he wanted to settle down. Marrying a woman from the brothel was definitely one of the biggest taboo he could possibly make. No one would ever accept it. They would contest his marriage at every stage. If, by any miracle, his marriage made through, they would make life a living hell for his wife.

Kakashi could not imagine Ruka having a harder life. She would practically be ostracized by the people. Considering her cheerful nature, he shuddered to think of her being forced to be alone. It was for that reason that he refused to simply buy her from Kaede.

However, he wondered how long it would be before Kaede finally allowed Ruka to take other customers. Kakashi was aware that Ruka served only him but he was only paying the standard price. He did give Ruka a generous tip but she had shook her head one day and told him to stop giving her so much when all they do is talk. It had been a losing battle. Ruka had won it without allowing Kakashi to say much.

That memory always made the copy ninja smile.

"Well, my favorite shinobi, would you enlighten this one on your thoughts?" Ruka asked as she settled before him, her legs gracefully tucked under her.

"It's nothing much, really. Sandaime-sama told me a couple of days ago that he had assigned a genin team for me to train. Since they all passed, I now have a team."

Ruka raised a well-shaped eyebrow. "What's wrong about training a genin team? I would say that it would at least give you some downtime. You are quite overworked, Kakashi-san. A long break would be quite a blessing."

Kakashi wanted very much to tell her exactly who he was in charge of but he refrained. For now, he would keep the names of his new charges a secret. Once the genin test had been administered, he could share the experience with her. Kakashi was sure Ruka would find the three children to be entertaining.

"Considering how much of a disaster I am with kids, this whole operation could possibly go FUBAR," Kakashi pouted. He reached out to blow out all the candles. Darkness fell upon the room as it usually did. In the dark, Kakashi removed his hitai-ate and his mask. He pulled Ruka towards his side and threw the cover over them. They cuddled in bed as they had been doing for over a year. It was so routine by now that Ruka barely flinched or jumped when Kakashi moved. Instead, she welcomed the warmth surrounding her. It still amazed her how safe she felt in his arms.

"I am quite sure you are quite good with kids, Kakashi-san," Ruka replied dryly with a roll of her eyes. Kakashi's pout stubbornly remained.

"Oh, I'm fine with just basic babysitting and simply entertaining a few kids. Asking me to train them though…. Ruka-chan, it is a very huge responsibility. Considering my team, I would also be the adult they will be looking to for comfort and guidance. As I had never really been a child, I am not sure how to go about training these kids and being what they need," Kakashi finally said after a few moments of silence.

Ruka nodded slowly in his arms. She placed her hands over his, which were on her stomach and rubbed comforting circles on the back of his hands. "As long as you give them your best, I think everything will be fine. Don't worry too much. Besides, I'm sure you will have a better handle on them after your first few meetings."

Kakashi pulled her full figure flush against his body and buried his nose in her hair, taking a deep breath of her jasmine scented hair. It was his favourite scent as he felt it suited her the most. The first time he passed by Yamanaka's Flower Shop and caught the scent of that reminded him so much of Ruka, he had gone in and looked around until he had found it. He had finally bought a bunch of white jasmine flowers, which Inoichi's daughter, Ino, had informed him, meant attachment, sensuality, amiability and modesty. He had almost laughed when he realized the flower described Ruka to a tee.

On a side note, the news of him buying flowers spread, caused many people to wonder who caught the copy ninja's eyes and made the council giddy as they thought he was finally settling down. That rumor died a painful death when they found the flowers at the memorial stone. What no one had noticed was the handful of flowers he had taken and given to Ruka. The smile of her face was enough to make him consider braving the flower shop once more.

"You're right. No point dwelling on it. Let's sleep, shall we?"

Ruka simply smiled while inside she realized just how rarely she would see her shinobi after this. After all, Naruto was going to join the shinobi corps as a genin. She had finally passed the genin test after much drama. She could still see Iruka-sensei with the fuuma shuriken on his back and forced herself not to shudder. Either way, she already knew she could not hang around the brothel much anymore. It looked like she would have to come up with a system to still see Kakashi. He looked as though he was still planning on seeing her. Ruka just hoped she would be able to provide the shoulder her ninja needed.

XXX

This cannot be happening!

This was not fair in the least!

Naruto wanted to scream and shout and throw a tantrum but she refrained by the skin of her teeth. Of all the person who could have been assigned as Team 7's sensei, she had to get Hatake Kakashi. Naruto was painfully worried that Kakashi would recognize her as Ruka but when he barely paid any attention to her, she knew she had barely dodged the bullet this time. Naruto knew that Kakashi would easily figure out that Naruto and Ruka were one and the same once he spent enough time with both. Had it been another sensei, Naruto would have thought of continuing to see Kakashi as Ruka but now, she knew she could not do it.

She had thrown in her best performance during her introduction and barely heard his instructions for the genin test. Her mind played a hundred different scenarios but at the end Naruto knew Ruka could not see Kakashi anymore.

It was best for her to stop seeing Kakashi. At least this way, she did not feel as though she was lying to him. A part of her died knowing she would never see him in an intimate setting again. Another part suffered knowing he would be confused on why she was ending their platonic relationship. He had truly opened up after months of spending time together and now all her efforts to get him to open up would probably be washed down the toilet.

Naruto barely paid attention to her surroundings. Mechanically, she followed her ritual to slip into the brothel. She needed to talk to Kaede about this latest development and her heart almost broke, knowing that those warm arms that meant safety and belonging would never wrap around her body again. The tears that simply begged to be let out was forced behind sheer willpower. Naruto needed to do this. She was not willing to continue a charade. It was one thing for her to know Kakashi in a personal setting with his knowledge. It was a whole other thing for her to know Kakashi in a professional setting and still associate with him personally without his knowledge. That kind of trust was not easily repaired once broken.

Since Naruto knew she would not want anyone tricking her like that, she decided to end her relationship with Kakashi as Ruka.

This was going to be painfully hard.

Kaede stared at the fidgeting child before her. She was as worried as Naruto about the situation though for a whole different reason. As Naruto was still very young, she had not truly experienced love. She had not given much thought of her relationship with Kakashi. She enjoyed spending time with him and sleeping with him but to Naruto, it was the companionship and the joy of belonging to someone that kept her coming for more. Her thoughts and feelings for Kakashi were still very innocent. It might also be due to her growing up in a brothel. She knew that men and women sleep just for physical pleasure and that love was not any of their main concern. She would not have expected Kakashi to have fallen for her.

Unfortunately, Kaede knew Kakashi was in love with Naruto or rather, with Ruka. He always requested Ruka's presence and would visit multiple times a week just to see her. Ever since they started sleeping together, Kakashi had become a regular. Kaede knew they never took it to the next level but she could see from Kakashi's eyes that the ninja wanted to claim Ruka. In fact, he would often require if anyone else asked for Ruka and had asked Kaede to refuse any offers for Ruka. If at any time Kaede was forced into taking an offer for Ruka, Kakashi was to be informed first. After the first few times, Kaede had finally told Kakashi she had no plans on introducing Ruka as a new girl.

Kaede doubted that Kakashi would allow Ruka to simply go. Even if he did storm out in anger, he would always come back and try to get her back. Kaede knew Naruto had not thought about this and truly, she was worried for her girl. However, at this time, the matter was out of her hands. She could only advice Naruto on how to approach him and talk to him about breaking things off. And she could only pray and it would work.

Otherwise, Naruto would have the son of the White Fang after her. As far as Kaede knew, people like Kakashi were very territorial. They would not give up easily as long as they believe something – or in this case someone – belonged to them. Taking into account that Hatake Kakashi had never – to her knowledge – fallen in love, Naruto was going to have a hard time convincing Kakashi not to see her anymore.

XXX

Kakashi had been deep in thought as he went to the brothel. Things were quite messed up at the moment. The whole world seemed to have gone crazy ever since he met his genin team yesterday.

Kakashi had gone to pick them up three hours late. He was quite unimpressed with the eraser trick and made sure they knew it. He had hoped for something more elaborate from Konoha's resident prankster.

When he had finally looked at his genin team, Kakashi felt as though he was missing something huge. He had written Sakura off as a fangirl and Sasuke as a red alert case. Uzumaki Naruto though had him pursing his lips. There was something painfully familiar about Naruto. Oh, the boy definitely reminded him of his sensei but there was something else in there too. Kakashi just had not figured out what.

However, the one thing he knew for sure was that Naruto was avoiding him. The genin tried to look everywhere but at him and did not come anywhere near Kakashi when they were not sparring. It was not very noticeable and two days were not enough to make such a claim but Kakashi just had this strong feeling that there was something in the air and he did not like it one bit.

Besides that, he was forced to go on a mission last night and it had not been a good one. He had reached home in the early hours of the morning and it had been very cold. The jounin had simply undressed and dropped heavily onto his bed. He felt completely exhausted, which was another reason he was completely late for the testing.

On top of that, Gai had managed to corner him and challenge him to a drinking competition. Kakashi had pointed out that it was still early in the day but the jounin did not listen. Needless to say, despite winning, he was sure he was going to have a killer headache tomorrow morning. He was drunk, tired and hungry. It was not a good combination. While Kakashi never actually looked drunk unless he was smashed, it did not mean he was going to be good company. So he happily eliminated the jounin lounge.

Now all Kakashi wanted was to go and see Ruka. It would be fantastic to curl around her heat and simply sleep. Not seeing her for a couple of days had completely soured his mood and it showed, especially to his colleagues. They would have teased him about it had he not simply shunshined away.

Unfortunately, when he entered the brothel and saw Kaede's worried eyes – no matter how much she tried to conceal her feelings, he always knew – and just knew he was not going to receive good news. Gods above but he really hoped that Ruka was there that night. Thank goodness he had already had his share of alcohol. Hopefully it will help lessen any surprise he might have.

Kaede winced internally at the sight of the copy nin and his obvious bad mood. She knew he had come over as Ruka had always managed to get him to relax. Now though, she was stuck with the duty of informing Kakashi that Ruka was not available anymore. As much as she would like to wash her hands off this problem, she was the reason Ruka was even in this mess in the first place.

"Hatake-san, may I please see you in private?" Kaede asked softly, her eyes trying to convey the seriousness of the issue.

Kakashi frowned but nodded. They walked over to a quiet corner and Kaede passed an envelope to him. "That is from Ruka. If I may be so bold, I would suggest you read that in the privacy of your home."

Kakashi looked at the white envelope in trepidation. He had a feeling he knew what was in the letter but the thought that Ruka did not even think of him highly enough to end things face to face left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"I am sure you can guess what is in that letter. I wish I could say something to enlighten you but I can't. Ruka-chan had no choice in the matter. I leave it up to her to explain in the letter. Good day, Hatake-san," Kaede said quietly as she bowed and left.

He held the letter tightly before he sighed and walked out of the brothel. It looked like today had gone from bad to worse.

Kakashi looked up at the sky and wondered if it would rain. The weather would then match his mood perfectly.

XXX

_Kakashi-san,_

_Do I still have the right to call you so familiarly? This stunt of mine would probably anger you. How I wish I could simply face you and tell you what is wrong? How I wish I could confide in you all my problems and hope you can make them all go away? How I wish I could say goodbye if only for a moment?_

_I have never been as happy as I was this last year with you. I have always thought so lowly of men. It is hard not to when one is in my position. However, you managed to change my mind completely. Thinking of you only brought thoughts of safety and belonging. Sleeping by your side wrapped in your arms had been one of the most beautiful moments in my life. If I were given a choice, I wish I could stay right by your side for the rest of my life._

_It is shame that reality is so far from fantasy that it is not even funny. Even as I write this letter, I am fighting with myself in order to face you. Still, if I saw you, I would probably never leave and unfortunately, that would be disastrous for both of us. _

_You are an elite of this village. I am practically the trash. We live in such different worlds and yet you have managed to bridge that gap. For what it's worth, I am forever grateful and I thank the gods that we met. You have come so far, Kakashi-san. You are not the man I met the first day. You have become someone more and I am humbled to know this part of you. Please, do not give up. Live your life. Learn to believe again. _

_I am not there to lend you a shoulder anymore. Despite that, I know you will be fine. You are very strong and your strength will bring you far._

_Goodbye, Kakashi-san._

_May our paths cross once more._

_Your friend,_

_Ruka_

XXX

Naruto had known that Ruka's sudden disappearance would affect Kakashi. She had simply underestimated how much. The silver haired nin had become a recluse once more. He took more missions and came later to the group meetings. He was very halfhearted in teaching them, or rather, he barely taught them anything. Kakashi kept insisting on teamwork exercises and doing D-rank missions.

Naruto could already see Sasuke losing his patience. She knew Sasuke was just a walking time bomb. The youngster was so consumed by the thought of vengeance and revenge that only the idea of power appealed to him. On the other hand, Sakura could not be bothered with her own training and kept following the Uchiha heir like a lost puppy.

The blonde haired girl was terrified at the state of her team. There was no team as far as she could see. Naruto could already imagine the catastrophe that would occur on their first C-rank mission. No doubt one of them will end up getting killed and it'll be her luck that either Sakura or Sasuke end up dead. Then the whole village would blame her and be after her head again. Naruto grimaced at the thought. There was no way that was happening.

She watched her sensei carefully and sighed tiredly. He wasn't the only one suffering but she could not say that to him. Naruto knew that Kakashi found stability with her but the irony of the situation was something she was unwilling to contemplate.

The bombshell the Hokage dropped on her had still not faded. The truth of her unwanted heritage was something she learned by pure accident. She was just lucky that Kakashi had not come for her that night. It had been a rare night off and she had gone to the woods to relax. It was a complete coincidence that Umino Iruka and Touji Mizuki ended up fighting and arguing at that spot.

However, the shock of Mizuki's treachery was overshadowed by the horrific truth he let out. The fact that she was hated for an incident beyond her control had left her feeling numb with pain and shock. On top of that, to find out the one shinobi she had held higher than any other was the cause of her condition, broke her heart. It was only Iruka's words that shook her out of her horrified contemplation.

Naruto had been touched by the faith Iruka had in her and that caused her to help her sensei out. Together, it was not hard for them to bring Mizuki down. Besides, one good thing from that night was learning the Kage Bushin no Jutsu. It had been a reconciliatory gift from the Hokage.

The Sandaime was still in Naruto's black books though. It was obvious from the amount of pranks the Sandaime had to be wary of the days after the revelation. However, even Naruto could not maintain her anger with the Sandaime. Without him, she knew her life could have been so much worse. He had never forced her to show people her true gender.

Naruto had never hidden the fact that she was a girl. However, she had never advertised it either. Deception was a ninja's most precious tool. A tool that saved Naruto's sanity. Considering the fact that she grew up in the red light district, she knew beyond doubt that the chances of her being raped was very high as a girl. As a boy, she got beaten up more often.

Nara Shikamaru had figured out her true identity, of course. Nothing much escapes that boy. However, he had kept silent of her true identity. She was also sure that Aburame Shino and Hyuuga Hinata had figured out her true gender. As they were all private people she knew they would not blab that information to anyone. On the other hand, it was a good thing that the Hokage kept an eye on her scent and masked it so that Inuzuka Kiba did not realize her true gender. That boy would have yelled it at the top of his lungs.

In the light of recent events though, Naruto knew better than anyone that the situation could not go on for much longer. Kakashi moping about like a lost puppy was the worst thing to happen to the team. Naruto needed Kakashi to buck up and take his responsibility seriously. To do that, only one person could achieve the needed result.

All she needed to do was figure out how to get her message across.

XXX

He truly should not have come here again.

Kakashi stared at the building before his eyes and sighed. While he usually would have given up at this point, even he admitted Ruka had quite firmly placed herself in his life and his sanity. After years of bloodshed and death and loss, Kakashi had finally found the one person who could be his strength and his rock. He could not afford to lose her no matter what she said.

His first opponent was Kaede. If he could get the woman to tell him where Ruka was, he could start figuring out what to do next. Kaede was his first hurdle and he squared his shoulders as he walked into the establishment, ready to face her.

Kakashi had expected many things on his arrival. He had expected Kaede to pull a fast one and disappear. He had expected the girls to be an annoying block. He had expected tears and begging and pleading.

He had not expected being guided to Kaede's private room upon his arrival. As he sat facing the older woman, he wondered what she wanted with him. Perhaps he could use that as a leverage to find out where Ruka was.

"Hatake-san, I will get straight to the point. Ruka-chan gave this to me a couple of days back. She hoped you would give her a chance and read the letter. She also hoped that you would give a reply to her letter. I have agreed to be her middle woman and I hope you understand how hard this is for her."

The stern visage of the woman before him did nothing to reduce the amount of shock Kakashi felt. Ruka had written a letter? Why did she not meet him? How did she know he was going to be back?

"Even I realize how close the two of you have gotten over the year, Kakashi-san. She knew you better than anyone else. To tell you the truth, I had advised her against this. She really should not be meeting you anymore. However, she insisted. She told me to pass this letter to you if you came for her. If you never did, I did not need to pass the letter on. You have to understand. Ruka-chan is not one of my girls. Her home life was terrible and she used to come here to hide out. I provided her sanctuary but now, due to her own reasons, she could not come here anymore. Hatake-san, you have to understand, she had already sabotaged her own future by spending so much time here. Knowing you, especially in this manner can seriously hurt her future."

Kakashi growled, his fingers clenching Ruka's letter tightly.

"I offered more than once to make her mine. You always refused. I never made it a secret that I wanted her. Why didn't you let her know that she could have a future with me?"

Kaede shook her head. "We both have our own reasons. Maybe one day she would tell you but for now, it is not safe for her to remain here anymore."

Kakashi blinked his eye rapidly. Worry clenched his heart. "Is she in any danger?"

The older woman shook her head as she stood up. "Leave it be, Hatake-san. For now, you have a letter to read and an answer to give. I will leave you here to take care of your business. If you would excuse me."

Kakashi watched her leave, a familiar feel of trepidation taking over. After almost three weeks of hell, he was not sure if he wanted to open and see what Ruka had written to him. His fingers were shaking lightly as he slowly opened the letter and read the words written in beautiful calligraphy. His eyes widened as he read her letter before they softened and closed. An acute feeling of tiredness seeped into Kakashi's whole being.

XXX

_Dear Kakashi-san,_

_How I wish I could simply hit your head over and over again until common sense gets firmly knocked into you! I never thought I would write this letter especially for such a thing as this. _

_What on earth do you think you are doing? While I keep myself hidden from you, it does not mean that I do not keep in touch with whatever is going on in your life. You are my friend, Kakashi-san. You are my friend and my confidante and my strength. You have no idea how much I value our nights together. The feeling of safety in your arms was something I got addicted to. _

_You always told me the one thing you regret most was the death of the people you love. You told me about Uchiha Obito-san, Rin-san, Yondaime-sama and your father. You told me you wished you were stronger. You wished you had more sense. So what are you doing now?_

_Kakashi-san, you have three children who are counting on you to become better ninja, better fighters and better protectors. You have three impressionable children who will one day venture into the world whether you train them or not. Are your ready to bury their bodies?_

_As harsh as this seems, someone really needs to knock this into your head. Moping around because of me is not an excuse. Killing yourself through multiple missions is not an answer. Why are you making me guilty by association by using me as an excuse? As much as I care for you, I do not want those children's blood on my hands._

_Now that I am done scolding you, allow me to coddle you a little. How are you doing? Have you been eating right? Are you even sleeping? I admit, I have not been sleeping as well at nights since we stopped meeting. Many times I wish I could have run to you but at this stage that is impossible._

_Kakashi-san, the main reason Kaede-san and I decided to end our association was due to my age. It was time for me to get out of Kaede-san's protection and venture into the world, so to speak. That and well, by civilian laws, I am underage. You must have realized I was young. I do not know how old you thought I was but I can assure you I am much younger. That was the reason Kaede-san was quite firm on ensuring you never thought of me as another of her girls. _

_There were some things she said or implied that I might be making something out of it. If I am, I apologize but nonetheless, I should say this. I apologize if I ended up misleading you. I care for you deeply, Kakashi-san but I am not sure to what extent. So I apologize, if any of my actions seem to promise something even I do not understand. _

_That said, if you are willing, I do not mind keeping in touch with you. However, I hope you do not mind our correspondence being limited to letters. I cannot see you face to face, Kakashi-san. That is the one thing I beg of you not to ask of me. _

_Please to think of what I have said. Do take care of yourself and do take care of those little devils of yours. You do not want this to be another of your regrets, of that I am sure. _

_If I am too presumptuous of our situation, I apologize. I hope to hear from you, either way. _

_Stay safe._

_Ruka._

XXX

_Ruka-chan,_

_I do not know what to write or how to put into words what I am feeling right now. I think I really needed that figurative kick in the ass. _

_I am glad to hear from you. You are not the only who missed our time together. And you are right. I have made a mess of my career as a sensei. Minato-sensei must be rolling in his grave!_

_I did offer to buy you no matter how many times Kaede-san refused. Truly, I was wondering what she was waiting for but it looks like you gave the answer. I have no idea how to feel about being with a younger girl. Well… much younger than the 16 years of age I assumed you were. Considering what you insinuated, I must be at least 10 years older than you. I had hoped that was less. It does make me feel like a cradle robber. I can only be glad that I did not push for sex._

_Ruka, I do care for you, deeply and it is more than a physical thing. However, I am not pushing for anything. For now, your friendship means more to me than you can imagine. Perhaps we can keep this up and see where it leads? _

_I will do better. I have to and I thank you for waking me up. Be safe. Take care._

_Kakashi._

XXX

_Kakashi-san,_

_How are you doing? I hope the past week had been good for you. My little informant told me you look better. I am really glad to hear that._

_How are your genin? How have the practice sessions been progressing? Your little devils must be stunned with the change. It would have been amusing to see their reaction!_

_Ruka_

XXX

_Ruka-chan,_

_I am fine. How are you doing? The past week has been good. I have gotten more rest and I have eaten well too. _

_You have an informant? My, my, how is that fair to me? Should I not have an informant on you as well? _

_My cute little students are all well. They were truly surprised with the change. In fact, Sakura actually tried to chant 'Kai' to dispel me thinking I was a genjutsu. It was beyond hilarious. Of course, after I had a nice laugh, I made them run enough laps to make them curse my name. _

_I wish I could see you but I know for now any attempt on my end to meet you will be met by heavy resistance. Ruka, I don't care if we remain friends but can you promise me we will meet again one day?_

_Kakashi_

XXX

_Kakashi-san,_

_I am much better these days. Life is really different now. I can say that it is a positive change. _

_Please, do not make me promise that. I can't, with clear conscience, do that. For as long as I am able, I will give you my support from the shadows. Please, don't hate me for this._

_I am glad to see you are getting on well with your students. That's fantastic. You have so much to pass down to them. Considering who they are, I am sure they will take to a heavier training session with vigor. Push them and push them hard, Kakashi-san, so that they know you are serious, that being a ninja is serious. Children nowadays do not really understand that. D-rank missions are so different than C-rank ones after all. _

_Take care of yourself._

_Until next time,_

_Ruka_

XXX

_Ruka-chan,_

_Why are you still so formal with me? I think we are past the formalities, aren't we? If you promise to be more casual with me, I will stop hounding you for your location. As long as you are safe and happy, I am content._

_I took your advice to heart. I am pushing my little students fast and hard. Naruto and Sasuke have taken to training like ducks to water. Sakura is much harder to convince. I am at my wits end with this girl. I do have a plan to get her out of her fangirl world and I truly hope it works. Perhaps a dose of reality is what she needs. _

_May I know what you are doing nowadays? I miss hearing you telling me about your day. Do you know that you have a really addictive voice? I can listen to you all day and not get bored._

_Kakashi_

XXX

_Kakashi,_

_Very well. Let us try this informal way. Thank you for not pushing me. I really appreciate it. I have a new guardian and he is taking good care of me. I am pleased with him. I hope I can build a good rapport with him._

_So, have you finalized your plan yet? I am quite interested in your latest idea. Sakura-san sounds like someone who has been fed fairytales all her life. I wish that innocence can be saved. It is unfortunate that if we care for her innocence, we sacrifice her life. If only there was a way to protect her from the ugliness of the world… It is only a sad dream, truly. However, I am glad that one way or another, she is learning to protect herself better. _

_How are your other two students? Have they given you much problems? Considering your two, I thought they would be the most problematic. Looks like I am wrong._

_Stay safe._

_Ruka._

XXX

_Ruka-chan,_

_Thank you for dropping the formality. I am glad your new guardian is taking good care of you. You deserve the best. _

_I know you might disapprove but the hokage and I have decided to bring the kiddies out on a C-rank mission. It would take them away from the village for a bit and give Sakura a taste of real life. It's best she learns what a shinobi life is like before I have to bury another body._

_Naruto and Sasuke are…very interesting individuals. Sasuke is a quick learner and a ninjutsu specialist. Despite not having his bloodline yet, you can see the potential in him. In many ways, he reminds me of me. Naruto…I have no idea how to describe him. The child is very rambunctious. He is so full of energy that it is actually a little tiring just being around him. Yet, all that enthusiasm is actually quite uplifting as well. _

_That kid has a mind of his own. He is a different kind of genius. He is definitely not someone who will shine in the classroom but I have a feeling he will do magnificently on the field. He is a street kid and as such reacting to situations is how he functions. I am looking forward to seeing him in the field. It would be quite a sight._

_Take care._

_Kakashi. _

XXX

_Kakashi,_

_It's nice to see you so excited about your students. I am uncertain about a C-rank so early in their training but you are their sensei and if you feel they are ready then, maybe they are. Sometimes, real experience gives a better perspective after all. _

_I hope you do not feel as though I am stepping out of line but I have been asking around about Sasuke-san and Naruto-san. Naruto-san seems to require quite a bit of attention as he seems to flourish under positive influence. Umino Iruka-san was very insistent on that note. Sasuke-san though, worries me a little. He is quite obsessed with his family's death and it worries me to what extent he might to go to achieve the power he feels would be enough to kill Uchiha Itachi. _

_Please, do not get me wrong but people his type really tend to see only one way. As his sensei and his minder, I realize you have to keep an eye on him. I do know that the D-rank teamwork based missions are supposed to help but based on your previous observation, it has yielded no results. Again, you should know better than me. Maybe I am overreacting regarding him._

_Stay safe._

_Ruka_

XXX

_Ruka-chan,_

_My team is heading out for a C-rank escort mission. It should be a straightforward mission but something smells really fishy about this. Either way, I might not be able to contact you for a while. Take care and I'll keep an eye on Sasuke. Don't worry about telling me your observation. Your social skills and understanding trumps mine any day._

_Kakashi_

XXX

Hatake Kakashi watched his training students with a critical eye. Just last week, they had faced Momochi Zabuza and Haku and came out victorious. It was only through sheer dumb luck that both missing nin were alive and currently recovering from their ordeal. Having a chidori shoved into one's shoulder and into another tends to put some strain on the bodies.

Currently Sakura was practicing the water walking exercise to increase her control, stamina and chakra. Sasuke was assigned to watch over Tazuna, the bridge builder but Kakashi had also told him to practice water walking instead of sitting down doing nothing. Naruto though was going through his kata with Kakashi correcting him every few minutes.

There was something nagging at Kakashi's conscience. It had been bothering him since morning and now that it was high noon, the feeling had intensified strongly. Kakashi knew he could not put this off any longer and called out to his startled student, beckoning him to follow.

They walked quite some ways into the forest and once Kakashi was sure they were alone, he turned a curious eye on his student before he leaned close and took a deep breath.

Naruto blinked her eyes a couple of times before her cheeks stained an embarrassed red. She took a few hesitant steps back and looked at her sensei warily.

"Kakashi-sensei, what are you doing?"

Kakashi gave his patented eye-smile while he processed what he scented. It should have been impossible but then again…this was Naruto.

"Naruto…why are you acting like a boy?"

Naruto blinked rapidly once more and tilted her head cutely to the side. "Huh?"

Kakashi simply raised his eyebrow in a look that quite simply said, 'Really? You want to try that?'

"I don't understand. I have not been pretending to be a boy, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto replied stubbornly.

Her sensei sighed and sat on the ground, waving his hand so that she would do the same. Naruto sat gingerly, still wondering how her sensei figured it out.

As though reading her expression, Kakashi eye-smiled again. "It's your scent. You started menstruating."

"Oh!" The young teenage girl blushed in embarrassment but then simply shrugged her shoulders. "Usually Sandaime-jiji takes care of the scent but since I'm here…"

"So, you want to tell me about this little deception?"

Naruto shrugged. "It's not a deception per say, Kakashi-sensei. It's just a tiny bit of misdirection."

Kakashi gave a look that clearly told her to explain. Although the shinobi already guessed the story, he wanted to hear it from his student's mouth. In addition, people tend to reveal more when he says nothing at all. She might add information that he did not expect.

"Ah well, everyone in class is used to girls fangirling Sasuke-teme and dressing up and stuff, well, except Hinata-chan but she's awesome like that. I did not want anyone to notice I was a girl mainly for the villagers at first but then also because I prefer the shinobi classes to the kunoichi ones. And you have no idea how so many people just accept things at face value. Just because I dress in a migraine inducing orange jumpsuit two sizes too big and keep short hair, people think I'm a guy and I just don't bother correcting them. Some figured out I am a girl but kept referring to me as a guy just to maintain cover. It provides a layer of protection after all."

Kakashi rubbed his hair and sighed. "I can't believe I fell for it too. I knew something was wrong but I could not pinpoint what exactly was wrong. I am really out of shape. Well, far be it for me to take away that protection from you but Naruto, demo, there is nothing wrong with being a kunoichi, you know. There are quite a number of them who are fantastic, Tsunade-sama for one."

The blonde haired teenager nodded. "I know, sensei, but none of those girls are the Jinchuriki of Kyuubi, hated by a whole village and blamed for everything from the rising of the sun to its setting. Thank you for not asking me to change."

The silver haired nin nodded. "Aa. You know, out of curiousity, what is your name?"

Naruto chuckled in amusement. "Figures you never finished the official file jiji gave you. My name, as given by my mother apparently, is Nagisa, Uzumaki Nagisa."

Kakashi sighed with a soft smile behind his mask. "Nagisa, ka? That's a beautiful name. Your mother definitely knew how to name you. It's written as seashore, right?"

The blonde haired girl nodded. "Aa. I suppose it goes with Uzumaki and is a tribute to Uzushiogakure. All Jiji told me about my parents was that my mother was from Uzushiogakure. It's something at least…"

"Hmm… and Naruto? How did you come to be called by that?" Kakashi asked, truly curious. He knew his sensei wanted to name his son 'Naruto'. However, as he was not there for the birth, he did not know how Sandaime-sama managed to hide Nagisa's gender and change the baby from a 'she' to a 'he'.

"Jiji did not reveal my original gender to the council, apparently. He only told them that a baby was chosen to hold the Kyuubi. When they ordered my death, he hid my gender and swore a nurse he chose into secrecy. Luckily, she actually liked me, so she agreed. I have no idea why he started calling me 'Naruto' though… and when I started to eat ramen and love it, I took it as a nickname. Jiji signed me up as 'Naruto' though so I just kept it. Besides, 'Nagisa' is a very special name for me. Only Jiji, my nurse and my parents know my real name and well, now you too, sensei. All I ask, is that you keep it a secret. Right now…I can't think of anyone who deserves to know my real name."

Considering her life so far, Kakashi could only nod his head in agreement.

"Well, that is all I wanted to know. Let's get back to improving your kata."

"Hai, Kakashi-sensei!"

XXX

_Ruka-chan,_

_So many things happened in my team's first C-rank mission. You will not believe how crazy the whole situation was. On top of that, I uncovered one more village secret. It is truly a pity I can't share these with you but letters can be intercepted. _

_How are you doing? It has been so long since we have had any contact. I really miss talking to you. It seems like everything is becoming ridiculously twisted. You were right. I have a responsibility to my students. Yet at this moment, I feel like I am lost. The part of me, which was an elite, has disappeared. I never noticed how empty I felt until now._

_Gomen, ne. I seemed to be unloading on you once more._

_Take care, Ruka-chan._

_Kakashi._

XXX

_Kakashi,_

_I am fine and I am glad to hear from you. Despite the excitement of your team's first serious mission, I am so happy that all of you made it home safely. _

_Ne, Kakashi…just because you let something go before doesn't mean you can't make up for it now. If you want it enough, you can definitely do it. You were one of the best, right? If you feel hollow with how badly you let yourself go, perhaps you can work to be one of the best again._

_I believe in you, Kakashi._

_Good luck._

_Ruka_

XXX

_Ruka,_

_This is why I need you. Out of everyone I know, you always seem to know what to say to me without wasting too many words and filling up long paragraphs._

_I have taken my own training to the next level. Although there is still a lot I have to improve on. I can already feel the difference. I have forgotten how much I rely on my eye. _

_I have been pushing my team harder these days. Naruto and Sasuke are flourishing under my training. However, even this mission has yet to completely break Sakura of her fangirl tendencies. I am so tempted to involve a female colleague of mine but I feel that it might be too traumatizing for Sakura. Unfortunately, if she doesn't shape up soon, she will be more of a liability._

_That's why I have decided to sign them up for the Chunin Exams that are held in Konoha this year. Well, it is more political than my complete desire for them to take the exams so early. However, it will also be a good experience for them. I hope this will give them a clearer picture of the shinobi world. I don't want to bury any of them this early. _

_Will you attend the Chunin Exams? The finals are open to public after all and I am sure you will enjoy watching the matches. _

_How is your guardian? I hope he is fine and treating you well. Do know that if you are having any problems, you can come to me. _

_Take care._

_Kakashi_

XXX

_Kakashi,_

_Thank you for your concern but please don't worry. My guardian is treating me well. _

_I hope the exams will help you with your problem regarding Sakura-san. Considering the death toll of ninja in the field, I hope she will not be a liability to the team or to herself. This is one of the most dangerous careers to pursue after all. _

_That said, the exams sound interesting. I wish I could give you a definitive answer on whether I will be there or not. However, my schedule relies heavily on my guardian. As he travels a lot, high chances are that I would either be forced to follow him or I would be stuck at home. If he does attend the exams, I would definitely be there. _

_I hope your students make it to the finals. You have been speaking favorably about them. It sounds like they have a good chance during their exams as long as they keep a clear head. _

_Good luck. _

_Take care._

_Ruka_

XXX

"You know, Kakashi, just out of curiosity, have you lost interest in your girl at the district?" Asuma asked quietly in the lull of the second exam.

Kakashi looked up at him and artfully raised an eyebrow. "Oh? I did not realize you were keeping track of my whereabouts, Asuma?"

Sarutobi Asuma blew out the smoke he inhaled. "Well, it is more like you were being obvious. I have to say that I never expected you to visit a girl more than once and you kept seeing her for over a year. Now, you stopped going so often there. It is kind of obvious, Kakashi."

The silver haired man hmmed thoughtfully but gave no answer. Inwardly though, he was rather worried. Had he been so careless with his meetings that the ninja around him have been able to pick it up? If his comrades could pick it up, what of his enemies?

Kakashi felt a rush of relieve that Ruka was now nowhere near the district. At least, wherever she is, she would be safe.

That sense of relief only lasted for a short while as a loud commotion caused all the jounin sensei to rush over to deal with the latest problem.

XXX

Orochimaru?

Of all the people his team was unlucky enough to meet, Orochimaru topped that list without any contest.

Besides that, he knew that Sasuke had the Cursed Seal of Heaven, a seal Orochimaru designed and as far as Kakashi knew, no one knew how to get rid of it. The seal was dangerous as he knew that the power Sasuke will get from the seal was tempting enough for the dark haired teen to consider using it continuously.

On top of all that, he knew that the matchup Sasuke got was the most dangerous one in the whole competition. Coupled with the order from the council to train Sasuke exclusively, Kakashi was in a tight place regarding his second female student.

Hyuuga Neji was not someone to take lightly either. Kakashi knew that Naruto would want to stand up for Hinata especially with how Neji had defeated her in the preliminaries. However, Kakashi was painfully tied up with the council.

Luckily, for his own mental health at least, Sandaime-sama reassured him that he already had a teacher for Naruto lined up. Kakashi had a good idea who the Sandaime-sama meant and he was two hearts about it.

For one, Naruto will be able to learn all her father had learnt and get a one on one training with a Sannin. However, this takes her away from him and as the last link to his late teacher and sister-figure, Kakashi loathe to lose contact with her.

Nonetheless, it was out of his hands and he could only hope his students learn enough during the one month before the finals as Kakashi could feel that things were going to be very difficult soon.

With an internal sigh and his ever faithful book covering his face, Kakashi made his way to the hospital.

It was going to be a long month.

XXX

Naruto tilted her head thoughtfully and studied the tall man before her. He was, of course, more interested in the nubile, barely dressed young women before him. His giggles and scribbles were soft enough not to indicate his presence but Naruto wondered if she could be vindictive enough to alert the women to her latest teacher's spying.

Sighing, she leaned close to Jiraiya and whispered with just enough inflection in her voice to let him know she was very serious about this.

"Ero-sensei, if you do not turn around and teach me what I need to know to beat Neji-teme to the ground, I will scream nice and loud EVERYTIME I find you peeping. However, as long as you keep me busy with USEFUL techniques to learn, I will let you peep in peace. You have five seconds to decide."

Jiraiya blinked a couple of times as his latest student's words reached the synapses of his brain before he groaned and turned around to glare at her. The countdown of two fingers was enough to make him panic as he quickly agreed and dragged the orange clad form away from the bushes to a more secluded and quiet area.

The Toad sage smirked at the audacity of his student's daughter but said nothing of it outwardly. After all, he didn't need her to get a big head. However, he could respect a good blackmail. It was time to teach her what she needed to know to beat a Hyuuga.

If her aptitude for summoning was any indication, he was sure she would be able to blow his mind away with her raw talent.

XXX

Beating Neji had not been as difficult as facing a biju.

Beating a biju had been downright easy compared to her current situation.

Naruto cursed inwardly at the sight of Sasuke, his cursed form looming before her. She was so exhausted that it was all she could do to remain standing. Advanced healing or not, she had not completely recovered from her adventures since the Chunin Exams. She could almost feel her body shutting down on her.

The look in Sasuke's eyes broke her heart long before his hand was buried inside her body. Even as the pain flashed though her entire being, she made sure to scratch his headband, the only indication that they had come to a draw. She would be damned if she watched him leave with him thinking he had won.

Sasuke knew it too as he stared into her glazed and closing eyes. His expression would have been unreadable but Naruto had known him long enough for her to understand most of his expressions. The triumph in her eyes were obvious before she finally closed them and slipped into unconsciousness.

She never saw him leave and she never saw Kakashi arrive.

She never felt the desperate way Kakashi held her as he raced back to Konoha.

As far as she was concerned, a long rest was long overdue.

XXX

_Kakashi,_

_I doubt I will hear from you any earlier but I hope at least after the exams, you will get this. _

_I am unable to watch the exams as my guardian has taken up travelling once more. He has requested me to follow and I have agreed. It is going to be very difficult for me to keep in touch with you so I doubt we will be changing letters anytime soon._

_Either way, I wanted to wish you all the best. I am leaving Konoha just as the exams start so I have no idea how your team will be doing. Nonetheless, I am sure they will do just fine._

_So good luck. Keep training. Have fun. Live a little more. _

_Don't start getting depressed on me. _

_I will miss you and I thank you for getting to know the girl from the district this well. It has been a pleasure and an honor._

_Ruka_

XXX

Kakashi sighed as he finished reading the letter once more. The moon looked painfully bright from the Hokage Monument.

Everyone has left.

Sasuke had gone to Orochimaru, turning traitor to the leaf and taking Kakashi's prized technique with him. Not to mention, almost killing his other teammate.

Sakura had been apprenticed to Tsunade's current apprentice, Shizune. Tsunade was still not sure if she wanted to take Sakura on. However, if Sakura showed enough initiative, Tsunade might take Sakura on as her apprentice.

Naruto had left with Jiraiya. She was taken on as Jiraiya's apprentice and had gone on a three year training trip with the sannin. Considering everyone who wanted a piece of her, Kakashi was sure Naruto, or rather Nagisa, would appreciate the break from constantly running away from people.

And now Ruka was gone too. Kakashi sighed deeply. Maybe it was a good thing he had been unable to get to Kaede until now. He would have been too distracted to deal with everything.

He was free again, Kakashi thought morosely. There was nothing keep him tied up. Maybe it was time to offer up his services again.

His mind raced to the mask he still kept with the uniform he once wore.

XXX

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! So how was it? Is it good enough for me to continue? I hope I remained somewhat in character though the personality of my Naruto is quite different. **

**For those of you who have read 'When You Look Me In The Eyes' and have asked for a sequel, I am thinking about it and have got a rough idea on how to approach the sequel. Hopefully, that gets written soon.**

**I hope this chapter did not disappoint. As an avid reader myself, I hope you readers found it a satisfying read. Feel free to drop in words of advice. **

**Thank you for your time! Have a great day! **


	2. Move Your Pieces

**Pairings: **

**Kakashi x Fem! Naruto**

**Warnings:**

**Coarse Language, slight reference to child abuse**

**Summary:**

**Naruto found sanctuary in the presence of ill repute women. Kakashi found salvation in the presence of an ill repute young woman. In the least expected place, two damaged souls meet for a future neither expected.**

**Author's Note: **

**Hey guys! Thank you for your support! It really made my day and my muse! So, just a quick word: Those who know Naruto is a girl will refer to her actions and such as a girl. Those who are under the impression that Naruto is a guy would refer to her actions and such as a guy. So you will notice to the jumping of pronoun between 'he' and 'she'. The only ones who know that Naruto is a girl are Kakashi, Jiraiya, Shizune and Tsunade. The third never told Iruka. Iruka never paid attention to the gender portion of Naruto's registration. **

**My Naruto/Nagisa is also a bit more skilled than Naruto in the manga. This is due to having support from Kaede and the ladies in the brothel so her learning skills have not been compromised. **

_**Ziz-Voice of the Storm:**__**Nagisa's mannerism if you notice will be between Ruka and Naruto. This will be more apparent as the story continues and you get to see Naruto and Nagisa more. Nagisa is not as exuberant and boisterous as Naruto, though she is definitely quite cheerful and also hides behind a large smile like Naruto does. She is also not as mild mannered and calm as Ruka. 'Ruka' works in a brothel. Her character has to be someone who caters to her client's (Kakashi's) needs. However, as Nagisa is trained as a lady, she would have Ruka's feminism as well. Just like any other girl, Nagisa can be either a sweetheart or a devil depending on the situation (wink). I hope this answers your question. **_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters.**

**Destiny's Game**

**Move Your Pieces**

Konoha was one of the five largest hidden villages. Located in the Fire Country, it was also one of the most beautiful hidden villages among the top five. Hidden in the leaves, literally, Konoha was guarded by a thick forest, compliments of the Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama.

The natural defence was also one of the reasons the gate guards, Hagane Kotetsu and Kamizuki Izumo usually take their responsibilities in a relaxed manner. As nothing really happens, they could afford to laze around.

Today however, the eternal chunin duo caught a rather unexpected sight. A rather odd pair walked out of the forest in long, confident strides and calmly approached the gates. One figure was easily recognizable by his tall frame and broad shoulders. His long white spiky hair was tied back into a ponytail, two red lines ran down from his eyes and instead of a Konoha forehead protector, his had the kanji for oil.

On the other hand, his companion was rather unexpected. Barely reaching the Toad sage's chest in height, with a black bandanna covering his blonde hair, leaving only a few strands to frame his face, Uzumaki Naruto was a surprising sight. Both chunin guards wondered what exactly surprised them about the young teenager but they could not put their finger on it. Naruto grinned cheekily at the duo and waved at them excitedly as he followed his master into the village. Kotetsu and Izumo waved back but kept their eyes firmly on the smaller figure, still feeling something a little off about the whole picture.

Naruto was dressed in baggy black pants with his weapon pouches on both thighs. His slightly oversized orange jumpsuit also had black stripes along both arms. The jumpsuit was tucked into his pants and the collar was high enough to cover his neck. From the back, he just looked taller and walked with more confidence, but still…

The chunin duo looked at each other and nodded.

Their prankster was back with subtle differences. It would be interesting to see how Konoha welcomes her lost child once more after three long years of absence.

XXX

"Something wrong, Naruto? I was half expecting you to run and shout that you were back," Jiraiya teased good-naturedly. He glanced briefly at the young blossoming woman beside him before looking forward again.

Naruto shrugged. The desire to do something really stupid was strong but it was tempered heavily with her half-hearted feelings of seeing Kakashi. It has been three long years. As Naruto, she had accepted Kakashi as her sensei and guide. As Ruka, however, Kakashi had become her symbol of safety.

Throughout the three years she spent training with Jiraiya, she had not given Kakashi much thought. Once in a while, when they passed by red light districts, a nostalgic feeling rose within her. She fondly remembered her time as Ruka and the evenings spent keeping Kakashi company. However, now that she had matured and returned home, Naruto realized with a heavy heart that Ruka could not make the same come back. It would be too suspicious. In her own way, she had been able to confide in Kakashi but that option was now unavailable to her. It left her feeling just a little morose.

"Oi brat! Let us go and see Tsunade," Jiraiya ordered as he quickened his steps towards the Hokage Tower. He frowned when Naruto followed sedately instead of grumbling or asking for ramen. The older man sighed wondering what was wrong with his young apprentice. She was acting oddly for a woman who was so excited to return just hours ago.

"Sure, Ero-sensei. Let's go before Nade-nee decides to make Toad paste from you," Naruto replied idly before jumping aside and rushing towards the tower to avoid his master's hand.

"Brat! Where the hell is your manners?!"

A gorgeous pigtailed blonde looked up from her paperwork when she felt two very familiar and very much missed chakra signatures rushing towards the tower. She grinned as two forms slipped into her office through the window and outright laughed when Naruto ducked just in time for the paperweight to smack right into Jiraiya's face.

The Toad sage cursed colourfully before removing the offending item and glaring at the two laughing blondes.

"What the hell, Tsunade-hime!"

"Use the damn door, Jiraiya! It's there for a reason!"

"So why isn't the brat getting nailed too?"

"Naruto ducked fast enough. Do the math," Tsunade replied with a grin before turning her attention fully towards the slender figure standing before her.

She took in the immediate changes, marvelling at how with time, her little sister had grown to look more and more like a blonde version of her mother. Uzumaki Kushina had been a stunning redhead. Her vibrant beauty, infectious cheerfulness and unparalleled skills in the field had snagged the attention of Namikaze Minato tightly. Looking at the blonde before her, Tsunade could see the girl growing into the characteristics that made her mother a wonderful woman.

Though the way she was currently dressed was really unflattering, Tsunade thought with a frown.

"Why on earth are you dressed like that, Nagi-chan? It does nothing to flatter your figure," Tsunade asked as she walked over and hugged Naruto tightly.

Uzumaki Naruto laughed lightly, her voice had a rather husky quality to it, surprising Tsunade a little. It did give to mind that Naruto's voice tends to remind one of rather intimate bedroom activities. Tsunade caught Jiraiya's smirk and shook her head. Her teammate was amused by her reaction.

The pervert, she thought fondly as she retired behind the desk.

"Well, Nade-nee, first of all, the revelation that I'm a girl is really unnecessary. Right now, there are more important things to handle. Akatsuki, Orochimaru, Kabuto and Sasuke. Plus, it's not like I'm hiding, per say. It's just more convenient to fight dressed like this. My clothes are all layered with seals and each have functions. And I also don't want to be distracted or distract others at this moment. Once we deal with all these problems, I will be able to relax and be more laid back about my gender. Honestly, I've been a boy too long to start exposing myself as a girl. This is not going to be a problem, is it?" Naruto asked, part curiously and part worriedly.

Tsunade sighed. "It is not going to be a problem. All your official documents listed you as a female. It really isn't your fault that no one pays attention to the gender portion. Even a Hokage can't demand her ninja to dress a certain way, Nagisa. I just wanted to see you in something less… sack-like."

Naruto's laughter caused her hokage to blink again but the older woman shook the feeling away. Honestly, the young girl had grown up to be a rather unexpected woman. It really should not have come as a surprise but it did.

"Now that you are back, there are a few things we need to get out of the way. The first will be your evaluation. Among your peers, you are the only one who had not had the chance to advance to chunin. Since that is completely rubbish, I am arranging an evaluation for you. It will be a two part evaluation. I am sure you are aware that Sakura has been my apprentice. She has advanced to chunin. However, she is not in a team. Your first evaluation would be with Sakura. The two of you will see if you are suitable to form a team. The second evaluation is to see whether you deserve to be a chunin. Field promotions are done usually during war times or due to extenuating circumstances. In this case, being apprenticed to a sannin for three years will give me the loophole to push your promotion forward. Your second evaluation involves working with three missions with approved jounin. If you and Sakura pass your first evaluation to form a team, your jounin team leader will be the one observing you in missions to see if you deserve your promotion. After his or her recommendation, you will be put to work with two different jounin on a mission each to see what they think as well. If you pass under all three of them, I can push your promotion forward, understand?"

Naruto nodded seriously. "What mission rankings are taken into account for the second evaluation, Nade-nee?"

"Only missions C-rank and above. If you work with multiple jounin on a higher rank mission a recommendation from both of them is counted as a recommendation each. It will make your promotion faster."

The bandanna wearing teen nodded thoughtfully. "Considering how much Akatsuki wants me, I am pretty sure I will end up in higher ranking missions, anyways. This will be a good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, Nade-nee."

Tsunade smirked. "Grown up, haven't you? You would usually be bouncing around."

Naruto chuckled nervously. Truth be told, she was nervous about meeting Kakashi again. Her dual identity as his student and confidante, made her wonder how she would react to meeting him again. On top of that, she was rather preoccupied in wondering how he had managed the last three years without his students and Ruka.

Her train of thought was broken when the door knocked twice and a familiar figure entered after hearing Tsunade's approval.

Sakura did not look like she had changed much over the years. She had grown taller and her figure was fuller, giving her womanly curves though she was not blessed much on top. She had changed her outfit to be more practical. However, the confident strides and the straight back were testimonies to how much she had grown up under Tsunade's guidance. Green eyes lit up at the sight of Naruto and the pink haired shinobi greeted her teammate enthusiastically before greeting Jiraiya and Tsunade.

"You called, Tsunade-sama?"

Tsunade nodded and looked at the two young women before her. They were as different as night and day. She smiled tightly.

"Sakura, Naruto, the two of you will submit to an evaluation by an elite jounin to see how much you both have grown and how well you work together. Do you understand?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama!"

Tsunade smirked before she nodded towards the window. "Then, you better greet your examiner."

Puzzled, the girls shared a look before they approached the window. The sight that greeted them warmed both of their hearts as they greeted their sensei together.

"Kakashi-sensei! It's been a long time!" Sakura called out at the familiar figure dressed in traditional jounin uniform and vest.

The masked man greeted his ex-students with his customary eye-smile and salute. "Yo, Sakura, Naruto! It's been awhile."

Naruto, stunned just for a moment at the sight of her teacher, grinned widely. She was so glad to see that Kakashi was alright and he had been taking care of himself. "Kakashi-sensei! It's so good to see you! Look, I got you a gift!"

"Oh?" Kakashi voiced curiously without moving an inch from his position on the awning outside the office. His eye lazily took in the sight of his student and wondered if the girl was trying harder to hide her gender with such loose clothes. It did everything to hide her natural beauty. It was only through sharp observation that he could see how much she took after her mother with her father's influence.

"Yup! Here, this is for you, the very first print and signed by the author," Naruto replied handing over a brand new book with green cover. The sight of her teacher with his eye impossibly wide caused her to laugh easily.

Kakashi and Sakura both started at the laugh. It had just the right amount of huskiness that caused Sakura to blush while Kakashi's grip on his latest book tightened.

Kakashi was shocked to hear the laughter he could remember just like it was yesterday. Naruto laughed exactly like Ruka, causing a familiar ache within the masked man. He forcefully buried the feeling and pulled on all the training he had to ensure no one could read his emotions from what little his face was showing. After so long, it was a shock to have his student reminding him of the woman he had unexpectedly fallen for.

"Wait! Does this mean Kakashi-sensei is the one going to evaluate us, Nade-nee?" Naruto asked curiously, nervously anticipating her leader's answer. The smug smirk on Tsunade's lips caused her and Sakura to groan together amidst the laughter from the two sannin.

They were definitely doomed.

XXX

Kakashi leaned against his wall, the new Icha Icha Tactics resting on his lap. He looked out of his window into the dark skies and thought back to the evaluation he conducted in the evening.

His students have come a long way from the wide eyed, naïve genin the academy had spitted out. He could admire the predatory way the two young woman had moved as they tag teamed and cornered him over and over again. Between Sakura's brute force and supporting role and Naruto's wide ranged skills, they had managed to corner him over and over again and even limited the area he could move in. At the end, his own carelessness and the sheer unpredictability of his blonde haired student had caused him the bells.

He did not regret passing them at all. They had worked like a well-oiled machine. He could see himself working with them in missions without many problems.

Naruto… no, Nagisa, had completely shocked him over and over again ever since he laid his eyes on her.

Despite being dressed in a darker version of her orange jumpsuit and covering her hair with a black bandanna, Kakashi had been stunned by how much she looked like Kushina-nee. When she smiled, Kakashi could have sworn he saw his sensei's wife smiling cheerfully at him once more. Her eyes, despite being shaped like her mother's, held her father's intense blue orbs. When she was younger, it had been a lighter blue. Now though, it seemed as though she could stare right into his heart and soul. Her eyes reminded him too much of his sensei. She had kept her blonde hair beneath the bandanna, which was a smart decision. He could assume it was a trait she picked up during her travels.

It had not been the only thing she had picked up during her travels apparently. The various skills she showed during the evaluation had really shocked him. Her taijutsu had been refined and together with her flexibility, speed and unpredictability, he could not read her moves at all. His sharingan was useless against her style of taijutsu, something he was truly happy for her. Her repository of ninjutsu could only be accredited to Jiraiya's teaching. He could recognize quite a few of Jiraiya's jutsu's as he was battling her though she had taken it one step further by either using less or no seals. That was definitely a plus against sharingan users. She had picked up some rudimentary kenjutsu skills as well though nowhere near Kushina-nee's skills.

The biggest surprise was the barrier she had put up using seals. Fuuinjutsu was not a skill he had expected her to pick up but that was carelessness on his part. With Jiraiya-sama as her master, he should have known she would take to the art. Besides, both her parents excelled in fuuinjutsu. The barrier she had put up limited him to a smaller area for their battle ground, which both girls exploited completely.

But it was not her skills that caught his eye. It was how she had grown up.

When he had first seen her in the Hokage's office, he had not paid as much attention to her looks. The first thing that caught his attention was her laughter. The husky, smoky sound he heard caused fine shivers to travel up his back and brought back memories of Ruka. The nights he spent with the gorgeous blond, cracking jokes that caused her to laugh in his arms. Her laughter had been so sexily low and husky as well, easily snagging Kakashi's attention in more than one way. He had always tried to make her laugh as they laid together, the feel of her body trembling in his arms and the sound of her voice had made him harder than he had expected. It was only his sense of honor and the feelings of respect he had for her that stopped him from forcing her to give herself to him.

Hearing her laughter from Nagisa had almost caused him to go into shock. Had it just been her laughter, he could have – probably – dismissed it. However, the curve of her face, the way she had looked up at him, everything reminded him painfully of Ruka causing him to miss the woman he had fallen far so hard three years ago.

It was going to be really hard to be around Nagisa now. Not only did she remind him of Kushina-nee and Minato sensei, she now reminded him of Ruka too. Kakashi sighed tiredly.

His student had only come home today and already she had caused chaos within him.

How like Uzumaki Naruto…. Or rather, Uzumaki-Namikaze Nagisa.

XXX

Naruto stared down at the paper before her and sighed. The pen in her hand trembled as she tried to make up her mind on this crucial decision. The desire to talk to Kakashi as an equal was so high that she had actually started to write a letter to him as Ruka. She finally caught herself partway through the letter.

How would she explain disappearing for so many years? Should she even reconnect with Kakashi as it would only cause more complications for her? Kakashi seemed fine. She could not even use the excuse that he was emotionally compromised for her to write a new letter.

Naruto threw the pen down forcefully and dropped her head sharply to the table. The sting from banging her head did nothing to curb her thoughts. She wanted to talk to Kakashi. She wanted to lie down in his arms and listen to him talk about his day. She wanted to laugh at his ridiculous jokes. She wanted to trace his face and imagine what it looked like in the light.

She wanted she wanted she wanted!

Frustrated tears clung to her eyelashes and Naruto chocked back a sob as she moved to her bed and curled up under the duvet.

She missed him so much. Despite seeing him almost every day, she missed spending time alone with Kakashi. Somehow, she managed to curb her desires by writing him letters once they were assigned to the same team. Yet now, just seeing him was simply not enough!

She could not understand the storm of her own emotions. Everything just seemed so complicated. Nothing was as clear cut anymore. Nowadays, she could not look at Kakashi without wanting more, desiring more. What exactly she wanted, what she truly desired, even she did not know.

The latest mission, which ended up as collaboration between her team and Gai-sensei's team ended luckily with Gaara taking his place as Kazekage once more. Although she did not work closely with Gai-sensei during the mission, he had been impressed by her quick thinking and skills enough to give a recommendation to the hokage.

However, the sheer insanity of the mission and the – temporary – death of Gaara was enough to unnerve her. On top of that, she had to head out with Sakura to check out a new lead on Sasuke. Since Kakashi-sensai had been incapacitated, she was forced to work with a new team leader and teammate.

Learning that her team leader was assigned to control her in case Kyuubi got free felt like a blow to Naruto's pride as a ninja. Together with Jiraiya, she had worked hard to control as much of Kyuubi's power as she could. It was also pure luck on her end that her desire to be strong with her own power had impressed the fox demon. Moreover, the demon was also intrigued by her desire to control his power only to ensure she did not end up accidentally losing herself or killing her comrades. While the fox demon had taken a back seat and decided to simply watch her training, it had also ensured that its power did not completely overwhelm Naruto. After all, it would gain nothing by Naruto's death as the seal was applied by the shinigami and would cause the fox demon incredible pain if it tries to force itself out. Naruto could go up to five tails safely though she could not hold that amount of power for long. Realizing how important it was to collaborate with Kyuubi, she had started to try to communicate with the fox though that was a very slow progress.

Her teammate was a whole other story. The teenager had made a terrible impression from the start by calling her 'dickless' and Sakura, 'ugly hag'. While they were both furious, Naruto had to try not to laugh as she truly was 'dick-less' since she was a girl. Besides that, Sai's own agenda was enough to give both girls a headache. Naruto was only lucky that throughout the second mission, she had controlled her infamous temper with an iron will.

That chunin promotion was not something she was going to give up without a fight.

Meeting Sasuke also had a toll on her psyche as the bastard had entered her mind using her blasted sharingan. Naruto was furious with the breach of privacy but luckily Kyuubi had handled the issue quickly and efficiently.

All in all, the poor girl was so wrung out with everything that had happened since her return. She had no idea who to talk to. Jiraiya was out on a mission, Tsunade had hokage duties, Shizune had hospital duties and Iruka was busy with classes. As much as she wanted to see Kakashi, she had never gone to see him before for comfort and she did not know how to start now.

Tiredly, the blonde haired jinchuriki stared at her dull ceiling. She really needed a shoulder. And if she could not approach Kakashi…

Naruto got up and slipped into her ninja wear. She knew the perfect person to visit.

XXX

Kaede had not expected to meet Naruto… or rather Ruka ever since the child had passed her genin test. As Kakashi would always drop by unexpectedly, Naruto did not dare allow Ruka to be seen. Now though, Kakashi only dropped by once in awhile to check if Ruka left any letters for him. Kaede had been very pleased when Naruto had told her she would stop writing to Kakashi due to her ever since she heard of the chunin exams. It would get too suspicious.

Not that that stopped Kakashi from coming over and asking about Ruka.

Naruto had come as 'himself' this time. The blonde too knew that if Ruka suddenly made her appearance and the news or gossip reached Kakashi, it would be – as the Nara would say – too troublesome.

Since Naruto looked male, Kaede simply took 'him' to one of her more private rooms. Luckily, it was not a busy night so Kaede could spend some time with Naruto. Although Naruto could not speak of her missions, the blonde snuggled in Kaede's arms, looking desperately for comfort. It brought Kaede back as she remembered the days the little blonde would seek her out after being abused by the villagers.

Naruto kept close to Kaede for a few hours before she finally felt settled. The brothel had always been a sanctuary for her so coming back reminded her of her safe haven. She had sought protection here and also found safety in the arms of a man she highly respected.

The girls had come over when they were free to greet her. They all looked scandalized over her outfit, which caused her to laugh gaily. Of course, seeing her in the horrid jumpsuit caused them to question her fashion senses and inquire if she needed refresher classes. Naruto found herself relaxing as familiar faces welcomed her back and new faces were introduced to her. The new girls were not told of Ruka, of course. She had been simply introduced as an old acquaintance.

As the clock chimed twice, Naruto decided to head back home. She fixed her clothes, hugged the free girls and Kaede, and walked out of the establishment only to bump into a familiar group of people.

XXX

With all the latest excitement, the group of male jounin and chunin decided to head over to the red light district for some drink and company. It had been a spontaneous thing and the older sempai had decided that some of their new kouhai needed to be 'broken in'.

Asuma had managed to get a hold of Shikamaru and Chouji as their mothers were over at the Yamanaka household. Both Akimichi Chouza and Nara Shikaku had been more than happy to let their boys go even though neither was too interested. Gai and Kakashi brought none of their students due to obvious reasons though Kakashi had dragged Yamato to get him to relax a bit more. Kotetsu and Izumo had decided to tag along while Shiranui Genma and Namiashi Raidou were both free enough to follow the group.

They had been laughing and joking as they made their way along the district, pointing out various brothels and gambling dens to the blushing chunin. They had already hit a couple of bars and were pleasantly buzzed. Shikamaru and Chouji, who were the only ones who had not drank in the slightest, wished they were nowhere near there when Genma pointed out to a familiar establishment. The others nodded while Kakashi looked far from pleased. He had no plans of coming over with the others.

However, a very familiar figure leaving the establishment caused the boys to chock while the older men whistled at the wide eyed blonde.

"Well, well, well, look who has grown up!" Kotetsu crowed, delighted at the blushing blonde.

Naruto groaned as he saw the familiar faces, especially those of his team leaders and his peers. "Hey guys, didn't know you guys came here," he replied lamely. "I am just heading home… you know, as it is so late and all."

Kotetsu and Izumo swung their arms around Naruto's slender shoulders. "Now, now, Naruto-kun, it's such a shame that you are leaving just when we reached. Why don't you come along? We can drink together and you can tell us all about how you found this place."

Before Naruto could say anything, Kakashi plucked him from between the eternal chunin and gave them his standard eye-smile.

"Maa, Kotetsu, Izumo, it looks like I have a wayward little brat here. I'll take my leave now and deal with him. You guys show my cute little kouhai the ropes, alright?"

Kakashi had spoken with a cheerful lilt to his voice but his grip had tightened fractionally over Naruto's collar. The older generation watched with slight sympathy as Naruto was pulled away by Kakashi.

"Asuma-sensei, what's wrong?" Shikamaru asked as he looked at the weird scene that just occurred.

Asume sighed around his cigarette. "Poor Naruto. Kakashi is going to chew him out."

Genma, Raidou, Yamato, Kotetsu and Izumo all nodded. "No doubt about it."

"Honestly, although Jiraiya-sama is known to hang around brothels, Naruto should not have picked up that trait from his master. Kakashi-sempai is not happy at all," Yamato sighed.

"Think there will be anything left of Naruto tomorrow after whatever 'training sessions' Kakashi gives him?" Raidou asked curiously.

All who knew Kakashi snorted knowingly. Kakashi was the student of Namikaze Minato. As four of them had worked with the Yondaime at least once before they remembered the 'training session' Kakashi had gotten when Minato-sama found him drinking when he was fourteen. It had not been pretty.

As at least Raidou and Genma knew Naruto was Minato-sama's legacy and the others know that Kakashi was more protective of his remaining team members, they knew that Naruto was definitely going to get a reality check.

"So what's wrong with Naruto coming here? You guys are bringing us here as well," Chouji asked, confused.

Asuma laughed. "Of course! But we brought you with us so we can keep an eye on you. Naruto had Jiraiya-sama with him all the time too so that nothing bad can happen. None of you are old enough to handle the district alone. Kakashi just needs Naruto to understand before something bad happens. Even shinobi can be taken by surprise. That's lesson number one around here, understand?"

The duo nodded thoughtfully, taken back by their sensei's sharp tone.

XXX

Kakashi had never been so furious in his entire life. The sight of Naruto coming out of the brothel had taken him sharply by surprise. He was definitely going to tear Naruto a new one, though not for the reasons his friends think.

Naruto was a girl! She should know just how dangerous the red light district was. Just because she probably went to a few districts with Jiraiya-sama did not give her the free pass to go alone. Anything could have happened to her!

While he was seething inside with anger and worry, Naruto glanced at her sensei through her lashes. She winced at the dark look in his eye and sighed inaudibly. She had really not expected to bump into Kakashi. Now what was she going to tell him? He would surely question her about her presence in the brothel.

Kakashi simply walked without saying anything. He wanted a private place to yell at his idiotic student and the only place he could think of that would ensure complete privacy was his home. So he walked towards his apartment, keeping a close eye on his silent student.

They both walked quietly until they reached a plain building. Naruto followed Kakashi as he led the way to his apartment. He unlocked the door and gave her pointed look to ensure she walked in. Naruto sighed before she walked in.

This was really not what she expected at all. The last thing in her mind was to find herself in Kakashi's apartment. It surprised Naruto that she had managed a good guess about Kakashi's apartment from the little he had told Ruka.

It was a small apartment divided into four sections. One for his room, another for his bathroom and the third section contained his living room, dining room and kitchen. She had no idea what the final door beside the one she assumed to be the bathroom was for. The dining and kitchen were divided by a counter. Kakashi's living room contained a comfortable sofa set, a television and a bookshelf that held his Icha Icha collection. Naruto could not see his room as the door was closed but if she was right, it was probably sparsely furnished as well. There were no mementos or pictures in the living room. If there were any, she would assume there were in the bedroom.

"Finished looking around?" her sensei's terse voice came from behind her.

Naruto spun around reflexively, her hand already inside her weapons pouch. She breathed out slowly to calm her fast heartbeat.

"Seriously, sensei?"

He arched an eyebrow and Naruto sighed once more. Instead of sitting down, she opted to lean against the kitchen counter, her eyes on her sensei. The height difference had she sat would have made it seem as though he was looming.

She hated that!

"You want to explain what you were doing in the red light district, Naruto?"

Naruto raised her eyebrow.

"What I was doing there has nothing to do with you, sensei. Please respect my privacy."

Kakashi grit his teeth. "To hell with your privacy when you do stupid things like hanging around a fucking whore house in the middle of the night, Uzumaki Nagisa!"

"Where I hang around also has nothing to do with you, sensei! I have been to many brothels during my time with ero-sensei and this is nothing new to me! I know how to take care of myself!" Nagisa cried out, furious with Kakashi.

"That was with Jiraiya-sama! Of course it was fine. He would keep an eye on you all the time! You went alone in this time. Do you what could have happened to you in there? It only takes one time, Nagisa!" Kakashi yelled back, his anger getting the best of him. He knew! He knew how easy it was to drug someone in these kinds of shady places. How many times had he approached Ruka with a chance to go with him if only for protection? She had always refused but he had made sure he warned her over and over again to be careful. Kakashi knew Jiraiya would not have stressed that importance to Nagisa since he had been watching over her. The fear of losing Nagisa to slave traders or enemy nin was a terrifying feeling.

"You think I never picked up a trick or two in handling myself? I am a ninja, Kakashi-sensai! I know how to take care of myself either in the slums or in the daimyo's bloody court! You have no right to restrict where I go!"

Nagisa barely had the chance to take a breath before she was grabbed harshly and slammed against the wall. Before she could gain her bearings, Kakashi had already pulled her away, thrown open his room door and threw her on the mattress. This time, Nagisa was more prepared to slam her elbow on her sensei's stomach but Kakashi was faster. He grabbed the offending limb and slammed his own elbow against Nagisa's head causing her to almost blackout with the sheer force of his hit. Despite the pain, she used the flexibility she had worked hard on to pull away from Kakashi but her sensei was relentless. Before she could make another move, he slapped something against the nape of her neck and pushed chakra into it.

Nagisa cried out in shock as her chakra immediately became inaccessible. It was not painful like the gogyo fuin but the sudden loss of her chakra was a disconcerting feeling. She could acutely feel the heavy body of her sensei against hers and fear gripped her heart tightly. Nagisa stopped moving completely, terrified that if did make a move it would only encourage Kakashi. She had never known the man to be this violent with his students and was at a loss on how she should act.

Kakashi leaned down, pressing his body even more against Nagisa's. He bent lower; his face painfully close to Nagisa's causing the young woman to turn her face away. She could feel his masked lips against her ear and struggled to keep her breathing even.

"20 seconds. That's all it took for me to neutralize you. And I can do anything I want to you right now, Nagisa. Anything. Do you want to test the theory?"

His voice was so cold, so detached. Nagisa shivered but said nothing. The reality of her sensei's actions hit her hard. When Kakashi moved back to rest his weight on his knees, Nagisa pulled her own legs closer to her body, curling protectively on her sensei's bed. She hid her head between her arms and tugged it low towards her torso. It was a painfully defensive move and Kakashi knew it too.

The silver haired man took a deep breath to calm down. He knew the only reason it had been so easy to disarm Nagisa was because the young woman had truly not expected her sensei to be so violent. Had she been alone or in hostile areas, she would have been more alert for anything. But this was the lesson he wanted to teach her. This lesson that so many kunoichi and even shinobi take for granted.

Always expect the unexpected.

Look underneath the underneath.

His eyes softened though as he calmed down and studied his trembling student. A small part of him started to regret how he treated her. True, he did not have the right to restrict her movements but this was his sensei's daughter! This was the girl he had never had the proper chance of caring for. It was bad enough that she had every other idiot after her. The idea of anything else happening to her just because she was at the wrong place at the wrong time…

But it was time to end this. Nagisa looked painfully vulnerable and despite his intentions, he was sure his sensei would break a few of his limbs if he didn't remove the restriction seal and comfort Nagisa now.

When he reached for her though, Kakashi's heart constricted painfully when Nagisa whimpered and curled even more tightly into a ball. Feeling a little hard to breath, he pushed a little chakra into the seal and pealed it away.

Nagisa took a deep breath, relishing in the feeling of her chakra flowing freely through her body. However, she did not move, still uncertain with her sensei out of character behaviour.

"Nagisa-chan?" Kakashi called out softly, his hand trembling slight as he put a hand lightly on Nagisa's bandanna covered hair. "Nagisa-chan, shh… It's okay. It's over. I'm not mad anymore and I'm not going to do anything. Come on now, look up. I need to check your head and this position has got to be uncomfortable. Nagisa-chan?"

Nagisa stayed stubbornly in her defensive position. The little comfort she managed to get from Kaede and the girls had long since disappeared. The young jinchuriki was just so tired that she could weep. The sheer violence of Kakashi's act had reminded her of her childhood so acutely that she was afraid to listen to him. Coming out could mean more pain and she just did not want any more pain.

Kakashi's heart clenched painfully and he cursed himself repeatedly for his impulsive action. Taking a deep breath, he tried to coax her out of her current position.

"Nagisa-chan, sweetheart, please, I'm not going to hurt you. Please, baby girl, come on now. Nagi-chan? I'm sorry, baby girl, please. Please come out from there. I'm not going to hurt you anymore. Come on, sweetheart."

Nagisa slowly lifted her face and her tired, pained eyes locked with Kakashi's desperate one. Kakashi sighed a little in relieve. He brushed the little hair that had escaped her bandanna and cupped her cheeks gently.

"There now. Welcome back, Nagisa."

Embarrassed by her episode, Nagisa tried to look away but Kakashi did not let her. Instead, he picked her up and tucked her body against his so that her head rested against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry. That was excessive even for me. I really don't have any excuse. I was just so angry that you could not see how unsafe traipsing around the red light district. I did not mean to hurt you, Nagisa. And I did not mean to lose my temper. So many things have been happening and I just snapped. I'm sorry," Kakashi whispered softly as he rubbed a soothing hand against her back.

Nagisa took a deep shuddering breath and sighed. Her body relaxed limply against her sensei. Despite the show of strength just minutes ago, her body and subconscious recognized the feeling of safety his arms had always been to her. Feeling her relax against him, Kakashi tightened his hold slightly but said nothing otherwise.

At any other time, she would blame this on how tired she had been. "I had a friend in the brothel. I just… needed someone to talk to. Ero-sensei was not around and everyone else I trust was busy. I just wanted someone not connected to the insanity my life has been these past few weeks. My friend kept me company the whole time. That's all, sensei."

Feeling like a complete jerk, Kakashi sighed tiredly. "I'm sorry, Nagisa-chan. I really had no right to act like that. I was just worried but I ended up hurting you more than anyone else. I'm really sorry, Nagisa-chan."

Nagisa shook her head tiredly but said nothing more. Her eyes drooped close and before long, she was asleep against Kakashi. Kakashi kept still when he realised his little companion had fallen asleep in his arms. He tried to lay her down on his bed but her fist curled tightly against his vest. Sighing, Kakashi lay down and pulled her against his chest.

Damn! What a mess!

This was going to be hilarious to explain in the morning.

Before another thought could filter into his own tired mind, Kakashi found himself slipping into a sleep deeper than he had in almost four years.

XXX

Eye scrunched in irritation. He moaned lowly. Whatever it was that was disturbing his sleep better have a damn good excuse, Kakashi thought drowsily before the thought itself woke him up.

Mentally.

Instead of opening his eyes or getting up, Kakashi carefully took stock of the situation. It was very odd for him to have simply fallen into a deep sleep unless he was drugged. So what had? And what woke him up?

The answer to the latter was the sun shining brightly outside. As his curtains were not fully closed, the bright rays of the morning sun had been dancing on his face.

Well that answered that question.

As for the first…

Kakashi twitched as he felt foreign fingers on his cloth covered lips. He blinked.

Fingers on his lips? Check.

Hand curled tightly against his chest? Check.

One leg thrown over his? Check.

Warm body against his? Check.

For a single moment, he thought he was back at the brothel waking up to Ruka sleeping by his side. The young woman had the habit of always keeping one hand on his lips and another on his chest. When he had asked her about it, she had blushed in embarrassment and admitted liking the fact that she could feel his bare lips on her fingers although she could not see it in the dark. She also liked feeling his heartbeat as it assured her he was alive and with her.

But it was not the brothel. This was his home.

It was not Ruka's blonde hair splayed against his chest. It was Nagisa's bandanna covered head resting on his chest.

For a horrifying moment, he wondered if he had been drunk enough to seduce his student. Then, he remembered what had happened last night and he sighed. Seducing her would have been better compared to what he had actually done. His eye carefully looked over her face and he was glad to see there were no marks on her face or temple.

Definitely Kyuubi's job.

What the hell had he been thinking last night? No matter how angry he had been, he had no right to hurt Nagisa to such as extent! It was no wonder the girl had been terrified of him. He felt sick when he thought of her avoiding him in the future. Luckily, she had responded to his coaxing. He did not want to imagine trying to explain the mess to Tsunade or Jiraiya.

He closed his eye and mentally sighed, trying to understand his feelings. Everything was so different. He had been on a taut string for almost three years. Losing his students and Ruka, the only anchor in his life had been devastating blows. Going back into ANBU had not done much in curbing his feelings for Ruka. Instead, after every assignment, he tortured himself by imagining going back to Ruka for comfort.

He had tried looking for her to no avail. She had simply disappeared. It was also difficult hunting for a blonde hair blue eyed girl. Everyone he asked kept pointing towards the Yamanaka compound. Kakashi snorted. He was sure Ruka was not a Yamanaka. It was the wrong coloring. He knew she was using a fake name and that was another obstacle in finding her. For a civilian, she had managed to disappear without a trace. However, she was from one of the seediest place in Konoha so he was sure she knew how to disappear completely. It had not helped him, of course.

He had not been able to get more than a few hours of sleep a night and sometimes none at all. Missions had kept him as occupied as possible. Even then, he knew it was only acting that kept others from guessing how badly screwed up he was.

He had not expected to sleep last night.

With the mess with Nagisa, he had expected to stay awake and watch over her. He had actually fallen into a deep sleep. So deep that the clock was showing that it was 8.30 a.m.

Besides the nights he spent with Ruka, when had he slept so deeply. That it would be his own student who caused this? This was insanity!

Nagisa moved against him, slowly pulling her fingers away from his lips – and how could he have forgotten it was there? – unconsciously tracing her fingers from his lips and down to his neck. She rubbed her eyes adorably – since when did he think she was adorable? – and shuffled back to pushing her head into his chest again. Her free hand now – torturously – felt its way up to his shoulder and curled behind his head to playfully rub the hair at his nape.

Kakashi stilled, completely unexpecting the move. Nagisa's body was splayed over his and he could feel her whole front that was previously hidden by her oversized jumpsuit. He wondered if he should wake his student up and his lips curled wickedly as he imagined her expression.

"Nagisa-chan? It's time to wake up," he murmured lowly, his voice tinged with a little sleep. Nagisa mewled before shaking her head and cuddling back. She did not even open her eyes.

Kakashi laughed lowly and tried once more. This time, his grin was painfully wide. "Nagisa-chan? Up now. We need to check in with Sakura and Tsunade-sama."

Sleepily shaking her head, Nagisa's hand tugged at the hair on his nape. "Kakashi baka, let me sleep a little bit more. Am tired," she slurred.

By now, Kakashi knew he was milking the situation for all he could get and the mischievous grin was definitely permanent. He moved the hand he had curved around her waist to her lower back and squeezed one of her cheeks.

Nagisa's eyes immediately flew open and she was already moving to grab the offending limb when she realized her position. Her alarmed eyes flicked upwards to meet Kakashi's devilish one and she 'eep-ed' cutely as she scrambled away from her sensei.

What the hell happened? She thought furiously, trying to remember what happened last night. She checked to ensure she was still dressed and kept an eye on Kakashi, who simply _lounged_, watching her in amusement. Memories of last night's debacle moved like a fast paced movie and she groaned in humiliation at the events of last night and this morning. Kakashi's chuckles were definitely not helping!

"Shut up, Kakashi-sensei!" she snarled as she tugged on her bandanna.

Kakashi outright laughed. "Oh? It's Kakashi-sensei now? You called me Kakashi-baka just a few moments ago."

Nagisa blushed and covered her face with her hands.

"Can we please forget what happened the last 24 hours?"

Kakashi laughed. "I don't think so," he sing-sang irritatingly. He rose and approached Nagisa and pulled her hands from her face. This time, there was no laughter in his voice or eye as he looked at her seriously.

"You know yesterday should not have happened, right? I was way out of line. I apologized last night but this definitely bears repeating. I am sorry. You did not deserve that."

Nagisa squirmed uncomfortably but nodded. "Thank you, sensei. You really scared me last night. I could barely retaliate. It was humiliating."

Kakashi nodded. "That was years of experience. You are an excellent fighter, Nagisa. You only lack more experience, which you will get on the field. I am a child soldier. I was in a war before I even got out of my 'girls have cooties' stage. So I had the advantage there. There is nothing to be ashamed of."

Nagisa sighed but nodded. She peaked at her sensei. "Are you sure you are not angry anymore?"

Kakashi nodded seriously, wanting Nagisa to be at ease with him again. Nagisa sighed once more.

"Thanks, sensei and I am sorry too. I should not have lost my temper and escalate the situation. I should have also been more mindful of my words."

Kakashi shrugged. "Now that we have both apologized, let's have breakfast, shall we?"

Nagisa looked at her sensei and then at the clock. She nodded with a tentative smile and turned to use the bathroom when Kakashi pointed it out to her.

She never saw the contemplative look in Kakashi's eyes as she disappeared through the door.

Kakashi did not have much food in the kitchen. He only had a few dry goods. As a highly demanded shinobi, he was very rarely at home. As such, he never bought and stocked fresh food. He kept dried and canned food for emergencies, of course but he would usually shop for fresh food on daily or weekly basis.

So Kakashi drank some cold water to get refreshed and headed out to the market to get some things to cook. He made a short trip out of it and rushed back home. He could hear the shower being on and he knocked briefly on the door.

"Nagisa, I left some clothes and a towel outside the door. I'll be in the kitchen, alright?"

"Thanks, sensei!"

Nodding his head, Kakashi walked back into the kitchen and started preparing a heavy breakfast for both of them. He knew that Nagisa always had trouble purchasing fresh produce from the market – though that resistance had lessened nowadays – and he cooked generously for her. He wasn't the best cook around but he was reasonably sure his food was palatable. Considering how rare it was for him to cook – much less cook for people – Nagisa better appreciate the effort he put into it.

He heard the bathroom door open briefly before closing and then opening again after a few minutes.

"Sensei, laundry?"

"Door to the left," Kakashi called out. He left the soup to simmer while he left to take a bath. He heard Nagisa putting her clothes to wash and simply slipped into the bathroom after telling her to watch over the soup.

Nagisa walked into the kitchen, smiling at the delicious smell coming from the table. She took note of the rice, broiled fish and pickled vegetables that her sensei had already cooked. The soup was on the stove and was simmering gently. She tasted it a little and added a bit more salt to the broth. Looking around, she decided to prepare a couple more dishes. She found enough ingredients to make simple tamagoyaki and steamed tofu. She had just finished serving the table when Kakashi walked in, dressed as he usually was.

The tall man stared down at the table for a few moments before looking up at his student, his mouth open to make some sort of comment. However, he did not even get the first word out.

Nagisa was dressed in the clothes he had left for her. It was a set of his older clothes, ones he did not wear anymore. She was wearing a dark blue shirt that had the first two buttons unbuttoned and the sleeves were rolled up to her elbows. The shirt came down until her knees. The only reason he knew she was wearing shorts was because he could see it peaking beneath the shirt when she moved. Her hair was covered with another bandanna, leaving her face bare and unhindered to the eyes. She looked so sweet and homely, standing barefoot in his kitchen.

The silver haired man blinked his eyes a couple of times to get rid of the sight without much result. He grinned self-depreciatingly. Well, he had become quite the dirty old man thinking of his teenage student like this.

"Sensei? Problem?" Nagisa asked when he said nothing.

Kakashi laughed humorlessly. "Nothing, Nagisa. I was just surprised to see you dressed casually. All that orange really covers everything."

Nagisa laughed as she took her seat followed by Kakashi.

"Itadakimasu."

"Well, sensei, we are so often on duty that I just don't bother to dress any different. Besides with all the hell we are thrown into so regularly, it's just common sense to be prepared all the time."

Kakashi nodded, agreeing with her. Yet he was really surprised by how much she had grown up from the tiny girl he used to know.

"You have grown up well," he commented softly. Nagisa looked up from her meal and smiled cheerfully.

"Really? Thanks! All the food ero-sensei kept feeding me was good for something at least! I swear it felt like he was on a mission to fatten me up or something. I was stuffed with so much rich food that the only reason I am still slim is because of all the training I had."

"Well, you really were tiny. You have grown up some and at least you are now at the average height of people your age. Though, you really look much smaller now," Kakashi replied. He took the sight of her in before his eyes narrowed at her chest. He was sure it was much smaller.

"Nagisa, am I wrong or was your chest much smaller last night?"

Nagisa almost chocked on her food. Luckily, she was not like Sakura when it came to perverted comments. She did have Jiraiya as a sensei and travelling companion for three years. Instead, she thought of Kakashi's question calmly and slowly nodded her head.

"Yeah sensei, but it is because of the seals. I layered my chest wraps with seals to ensure the size of my chest will not be a hindrance during fights. The wraps also have strengthening seals to ensure they stop most physical attacks. After Sasuke's parting gift, I thought it was prudent to learn how to protect my vital areas."

"Your clothes?"

"I could not place the same seals on the clothes. The type of seals I use continuously leech on my chakra to strengthen the materials so they have to be in contact with my skin. My clothes are separated from my skin by the wraps and are baggy. The drain is very miniscule so it's not obvious."

Kakashi nodded thoughtfully. He was surprised but the unpredictability was very much like her. He glanced at her chest once more when she was distracted by her meal and put her firmly as a 36 C or 38 C.

"Sensei, eye up, please," Nagisa commented drily, highly unimpressed. Kakashi smiled sheepishly at being caught but did not apologize.

"Speaking of seals, sensei, what was that you used on me last night? It felt like Gogyo Fuin but without the pain."

Kakashi made a noncommittal sound. He was surprised she would even talk about last night but knew he owed her an explanation.

"That was a chakra restraining seal. It is a seal only used by the Torture and Interrogation Department. As I used to serve in the department for a brief period of time, I am familiar with the seal. That was one of mine. It is not easy to use as you have to ensure that the seal is placed right at the nape and flowing through the main chakra network. And the amount of chakra put in has to be small. Your chakra control needs to be really good. Otherwise the tag just burns up and becomes useless."

Nagisa nodded. She could understand why Jiraiya had not taught that seal to her. While her control has become better, she still could not make a normal bushin. Until she could do so, she considered her control to be atrocious.

"Do you want to ask me anything else about last night?" Kakashi asked, wanting to get the topic over with without it hanging over them.

"You said you were out of line. You have never acted like that sensei… What happened? I am sure I am not the only teenager to venture into the red light district. And sensei… you know your role as our guardian ended when Sakura and I became chunin. You are still considered as Sasuke's guardian but not ours. While I am honoured that you care so much for my well-being, you really over-reacted, sensei."

Kakashi sighed. "I know. I have no excuse. I snapped, Nagisa, and you happened to be at the wrong time and wrong place. I guess… for a few years now I have been becoming too stressed with work without any way to release all the tension. Our team broke up in a very unconventional method and the woman I cared for was forced to leave Konoha as well. With streams of missions during the last three years and now with the combination of Akatsuki and Orochimaru, I have not had the chance to get a proper down time. It all accumulated and just burst out. For that, I apologize. I know that I don't have any right to restrict your movements. You know how to take care of yourself. I really have no excuse."

Nagisa just knew who Kakashi talked about. He had been missing Ruka and the loss of his comfort had hit him hard. Nagisa felt guilty that she had pushed her sensei to this corner. Even though she had not known things would come to this, it was still indirectly her fault so she nodded and kept quiet.

"Is that all, Nagisa?"

Nagisa nodded. "Yeah, sensei. Let's finish breakfast and call in. Nade-nee must be wondering where I am."

Kakashi chuckled lightly. "I better make an appearance too. All those from last night are going to wonder if I managed to maim or kill you."

Nagisa laughed at that and they both worked on their respective meals and talked a little. All in all, it was a pleasant breakfast.

XXX

"Naruto! You are alive!" Kotetsu cried out when Naruto walked in.

The orange wearing teenager grinned at the chunin before him. "No thanks to you! I had one hell of a night. Why did none of you save me?"

Kotetsu dramatically swooned. "The danger of going against one of the elite was horrifying. I had to ensure my own ass was safe first."

Izumo whacked his partner on the head. "Sorry, Naruto. Kakashi was not rough, was he? He already had a few drinks last night before we bumped into you."

Naruto shook his head. "He was rather apologetic in the morning, so we are okay. I better go first though. I need to see Nade-nee."

He waved energetically as he ran up the tower. Kotetsu and Izumo watched him leave speculatively.

"Think anything happened?"

"No idea. Seemed like nothing did but he did come in late."

"Naruto has never really come this late before, right? Hokage-sama had been asking for him the whole morning."

"Kakashi would not have done anything drastic, right? There is something different about Naruto though…"

Kotetsu nodded. "I can't put my hand on it but there is something different…"

They looked at each other and shrugged. They would figure it out sooner or later.

XXX

After a through chewing out from Tsunade, Team Kakashi was assigned a protection and retrieval mission for one of the smaller village heads. It was the last mission Naruto needed to get a promotion and she was determined to ensure the success of the mission.

They had travelled in relative peace for three full days. On the fourth day however, as they were travelling, they were ambushed by Kiri shinobi. It had been a hard fight as Sai's ink abilities were practically useless against water and he was forced into protecting their client. Sakura did not have advanced senses like Kakashi and Naruto and she was mainly a support for the group. This left Kakashi and Naruto with the main fighting.

Luckily, both were familiar enough with one another to make the fight a relatively short one. Their experience with fighting Zabuza and Haku helped them greatly. Together they managed to kill two of the shinobi and catch the last two. By the end of the fight though, Naruto's clothes were badly torn and he was covered with mud. Kakashi, who was far luckier, only had a bleeding arm. Their client and teammates were safe and unharmed.

Once they made sure they were in the clear, the continued to move until it was too dangerous to do so. They set up camp and hunted for small animals to cook. Naruto though excused himself to get cleaned up near a small stream.

Leaving her team, Nagisa stripped completely and jumped into the stream. It was so refreshingly cool. She pulled the bandanna away and washed her long hair vigorously, trying to remove the mud that managed to seep through. She unsealed her cleaning supplies and made a quick work of getting clean.

The stream was in too open an area for her to feel comfortable but the mud had dried off and made it hard to remove. Thankfully, she had a scrubber with her and that made the job all the more easier. Finally, after almost 30 minutes of taking a bath, she felt completely clean. Nagisa dipped under for one last soak and rose to her feet. She pushed the thick mess of blonde hair away from her face and body and flung it behind.

A sharp tension broke through her mind and she opened alarmed eyes to meet the shocked gaze of Hatake Kakashi.

Dark grey eye took in the bright blonde hair that fell down her back, the slim waist and strategically placed hands, which covered her breasts. Without her bandanna and her jumpsuit, Kakashi finally knew who exactly Nagisa reminded him of.

It was definitely not her father or mother.

Instead, Kakashi swore he was looking at Ruka.

A sixteen year old, wide eyed, Ruka.

What the hell was going on?

XXX

**Author's Note:**

**Hey guys! Thank you for the support! I am so happy that you guys enjoyed the first chapter. I have been flowing with ideas for this story. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. It is a little intense but that's where all the fun is, right? Also like I said, in terms action, this fic does not have much. Hope the lack of proper fighting scenes will not stop you from enjoying or reading this fic. Do leave a comment of what you think of the story so far. I can't promise my next update will be as soon but as long as my creative juices for this fic is flowing I will do my best to get as many chapters out and finish it soon. **

**Thank you for your support once more. Thanks for reading. Have a great day!**


	3. Take My Queen

**Pairings:**

**Kakashi x Fem!Naruto**

**Warnings:**

**None**

**Summary:**

**Naruto found sanctuary in the presence of ill repute women. Kakashi found salvation in the presence of an ill repute young woman. In the least expected place, two damaged souls meet for a future neither expected. Kakashi/Fem!Naruto**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Naruto or any of the characters.**

**Author's Note:**

_**Mikan: Thank you for your review. I understand how you feel. However, from my perspective, things are a little different. True, Kakashi was unexpectedly rough and violent. Yet he did not go further than that. His main intention was to show her how easily he could disarm her. So in 20 seconds, he managed to stun and disarm Nagisa (Naruto). It shocked her because she never thought he would go that far to prove his point. Even when he was lying on her, he did not take advantage/try to humiliate her by fondling her or anything else of that respect. Once he was sure she had learnt her lesson, he had got off of her. The shock of the situation did cause her distress but you also have to take into account that she is a ninja and as such, the shock of the situation is not something that will keep her down for long anyways. Combined with Kakashi apologizing so profusely and comforting her, the 'Ruka' in her would definitely be familiar with the safety she recognized as she had been with him for over a year. So in that sense, to me, it was not a surprise that she accepted his comfort after that incident. I suppose another way of looking at things would be when a father or mother use physical methods to discipline a child? The child does not shy away from the parent. Well, that is how I look at it. I can also understand your point of view. Either way, thank you for your support and your review. Multiple viewpoints do help me develop my story and characters. I hope you continue to enjoy reading this story!**_

**Thank you all for your reviews and for reading this story! It's really great writing this story.**

**I apologize for any grammatical errors I make. Hopefully that will not be a problem in understanding what I am writing.**

**Destiny's Game**

**Take My Queen**

Kakashi was right about how awkward the morning would be. He was also right about how flustered Nagisa could be with all his teasing. It had been fun. Clearing the air between them had also been therapeutic. He felt much better after a good night's rest and a long chat with her.

After getting chewed out by Tsunade on time management, she assigned them a relatively easy mission. It was a B-rank mission mainly due to the distance and the position held by the client. Kakashi expected it to be a straight forward mission. That was his first mistake. As their client had not mentioned any problems bar the usual bandits and such, Kakashi had not been expected to be ambushed by shinobi. Of course, that was not a big problem. As experienced ninja, his team managed to dispose the enemies, capture two prisoners and protect the client completely.

He had not expected the client to rate high enough for Kiri shinobi to be after him. That was his second mistake. As the Kiri shinobi were highly experienced water users, Sai was forced to pull away from the battle from the beginning. His ink clones, while a novelty and perfectly solid, are still made from ink and Sai's ability was more of a liability in battle. Sakura and Sai stayed back to guard the client as Kakashi and Naruto took out the four attackers. It was a good thing that his student had improved so dramatically on the field.

His third mistake was staring at him in the face. Out of the four of them, amazingly, Nagisa was the only who was in a terrible mess. Since mud tried quite fast in the cool weather, Nagisa had excused herself at the earliest moment to head over to the stream to get cleaned up. Kakashi had stayed back to direct his team and keep an eye on everything to ensure the camp was set up and properly guarded. Satisfied, he noticed that Nagisa had been gone for a long while. As he needed to clean up as well, he ordered Sai and Sakura to protect their client, guard their camp and cook their dinner while he fetched Nagisa.

Since he had been an ANBU captain for a number of years and an infiltration and assassination specialist, Kakashi had been trained extensively in moving in the shadows. Despite retiring from ANBU, this particular skill was one he kept harnessed and used both consciously and unconsciously. As he tracked Nagisa down, he did not really pay much attention to the way he moved. Therefore, the former ANBU was practically untraceable as he travelled through the forest, his steps could barely be heard and not a leave gave away his position.

It was not a surprise that she did not sense him approaching. How could she? He was one of the best. Years of experience could not compare to simply enhanced senses. It was this experience that helped him in tracking her silently.

As Nagisa was not aware of her sensei's approach, she continued her bath leisurely. The water felt heavenly against her naked skin. The feeling of being completely clean and fresh made her smile. She ducked under the cool water and rose gracefully to her feet just as Kakashi stepped into the clearing, his eye locked onto her naked figure.

Kakashi cursed himself briefly for not making some sort of noise to warn Nagisa of his arrival. Despite reading the Icha Icha series in public, he was not one to peep on women. While he enjoyed the feminine form, he respected their privacy. This time though, he got an eyeful as he watched the graceful ascend of his student from the water. It was a shame, he thought absently, that the water level just barely covered her womanhood. The water lapped at her hips as she flung her thick golden tresses behind her. The motion pushed her full breasts in front but once more, they were just covered by her arms.

It wasn't just the colour that caught Kakashi's attention. He had always thought that besides Nagisa and Minato-sensei, the only person he knew with hair that shade was Ruka. It was one of the things he was fond of. But the wet locks reminded him of that one night he was treated to the sight of Ruka, who just finished her bath and had no time to dry her hair. Her blonde locks too fell behind her in the same manner as Nagisa's.

The combination of golden hair and the mature curve of Nagisa's face reminded him sharply of Ruka. It was too close a resemblance. Having the sharingan gave the user photographic memory as the eye recorded everything it saw. Kakashi had many memories of Ruka over the year they got to know each other.

It wasn't just a close resemblance.

Nagisa was an exact replica of Ruka at this age.

It took all his skills as a shinobi to ensure his eye did not widen in shock and give away the revelation. Still, he knew she had caught his shock and hoped she dismissed it as him walking in on her. He watched as her blue eyes – why did he not recognize Ruka's piercing gaze – widened in shock as she caught the sight of his stunned form.

For a moment the duo just stared at each other. They were both in shock that it took Nagisa a good minute to realize she was standing naked in front of her sensei and giving him a free show. With a startled cry, Nagisa ducked into the river, letting the water cover her up till her neck.

The quick movement jolted Kakashi out of his musings.

"Well, I suppose I should apologize for walking in on you but as a ninja, don't you think it is extremely risky to take a long bath out in the open?" Kakashi drawled, covering his own shock by criticizing his ex-student. There was time later to contemplate this recent event. Right now, he needed to ensure he did not look as though he was running away from Nagisa.

Nagisa's eyes narrowed dangerously. "First of all, sensei, there was way too much mud and it took forever to get rid of it. I just finished washing of the last of the mud from my hair. Secondly, as someone who knows I am a girl, shouldn't you have sent Sakura instead? Plus, you would have detected and sent me a signal if you did sense anyone nearby."

Kakashi shrugged as though the whole matter was unimportant. "Well, even though there was a lot of mud that does not excuse the fact that we are still in open area and in danger. Considering you are hiding under the water, what would you do if an enemy ninja ambushes you? Even if I did send you a signal, would you be able to dress up in time? In your current situation, fighting would be impossible or very distracting. Secondly, since I am the only one who knows who you really are, it is not safe for me to send for Sakura. That would have been the end to this little charade of yours."

"Now you are just making excuses. If it were the enemy, I would not care at all about my modesty and even use my body as a distraction. Had it been Sakura, I would have heard her coming and gotten dressed up. Besides, Sakura would never come too close since she would respect my privacy. You are almost impossible to track when you move. I did not hear you approaching at all. Couldn't you have said sorry or something instead of making excuses on walking in on me?"

Looking amusedly at the woman hiding in the water, Kakashi nodded in mock seriousness. "You are right. I should have said something instead of making excuses."

Nagisa raised an eyebrow and waited for her sensei's apology. She wondered absently if he would actually – sincerely – apologize. As far as she knew, he rarely apologized properly.

It took her a second to realize he was walking leisurely towards her causing the young woman to narrow her eyes warningly and take a few steps away from the river bank.

Kakashi stopped right in front of his student and crouched down at the bank. He watched the wariness in her eyes with a wicked sense of amusement.

"Nagisa-chan," he purred and Nagisa positioned her body in a manner that would cover all her privates when she saw Kakashi's gaze dropping lower. She growled.

"Eye up, sensei!"

Grinning, Kakashi finished his sentence.

"It's 'woman'."

Nagisa automatically straightened her back and looked at her sensei in confusion. "Eh?"

Kakashi eye-smiled and nodded. "Yes, 'woman'."

"I don't understand."

"You said that I know you are a girl. That's not true from the looks of things. You have developed really nicely. Hence, you are a woman not a girl."

Nagisa's mouth dropped open.

Pleased with her shocked look, he rose agilely and strode over to a further end to clean up.

"Don't stay in too long. Get back to camp, Naruto or I will come in to drag you out dressed or otherwise."

Nagisa watched her sensei leave and groaned tiredly into the palm of her hands.

That man would be the death of her.

XXX

Fire crackled in the cool air. Kakashi leaned back against the tree after doing another sweep around the campground. He could hear the soft breathing of his team and client, who were all sleeping around the campfire. In a distance, he could pick up the sound of the night creatures scurrying about.

Kakashi took in a deep breath and carefully let it out. He could feel his mind and body becoming more and more agitated as time passed. The incident several hours ago was running over and over again in his mind. Only those closest to him will know that it was not Nagisa's body that he had been focusing on.

Nagisa.

Ruka.

Nagisa.

Ruka.

One image after another overlapped in his mind and Kakashi wondered if he was going crazy. How could Nagisa and Ruka look so alike? If he placed them side by side and dressed alike, Kakashi was sure he would not be able to pick out the right woman.

It would have to come down to their actions and attitudes. By the naked eye, they were exactly the same.

Ruka was soft, sweet, gentle and wise. She was not afraid to share her thoughts with Kakashi though she always worded them carefully. She was so graceful in every manner. Kakashi had always loved to watch her move because everything about her seemed as though she was dancing and swaying to a melody only she could hear.

Nagisa was rough around the edges. She walked with a bounce to her steps and her hands were always gesturing when she talked. She was loud and in many ways, so naïve. She was also blunt and lacked tact. Though Kakashi had always had a soft spot for his sensei's daughter, he could not deny that as a lady, she did lack the proper upbringing due to the way she was raised.

His mind flashed back to the morning they spent together and he amended his thoughts. Nagisa might not have a complete upbringing as a lady but there was still a gracefulness that came with maturity. She also knew her way around the kitchen. Kakashi had enjoyed their breakfast together. He had also enjoyed the sight of her puttering about in his clothes.

Kakashi sighed.

He knew the answer was just sitting there while he ran around trying to find excuses. It was there, laid bare for all to see and Kakashi was terrified of turning around and looking at the answer. When he could not find any more reasons to avoid the obvious, he allowed himself to mule the very real possibility that he never really knew the woman he loved.

He had always thought that he knew Ruka pretty well. He had a rather fixed idea of who she was. Now though, with this latest revelation, Kakashi was rethinking everything he knew about Ruka.

If he was right… if he was right about Ruka being Nagisa, Kakashi could not bear to contemplate the magnitude of his actions.

The silver haired nin shook his head minutely. He would think of the repercussions later. Right now, they had a mission to complete and until they reached Konoha safely, he decided to put the thought of Ruka and Nagisa away into a corner of his mind.

He could not afford to be distracted even with this news.

XXX

Nagisa could only sigh as she finished her morning stretches. Her team had the next week free from any missions and decided to gather for team training after three days of full rest.

The golden haired youth was more than ready for a break. She wanted to up her training but she didn't want to start on it right away. Once she started, she would not rest until she had completed her training. As such, it was better to take a break first and then concentrate on training. The lull would give her time to recharge.

Besides, Nagisa was getting twitchy with being around ninja all the time. She craved a change of scenery badly. As she could not move in and out of Konoha freely anymore, she was forced to choose another method of relaxation. The only thing she could think of was to visit Kaede-san at the brothel. However, the mere idea of Kakashi catching her in the act almost terrified her. While she understood his warning, she had practically grown up in the red light district. Being restricted from going there left a bad taste in her mouth.

Still, maybe if she left early, she could spend the whole day there and slip out tomorrow morning. She could help out around the brothel like she used to. Either way, she missed the company of the girls from the brothel. While being mistaken as a boy had its own advantages, Nagisa missed the feeling of being pampered and dressed up.

Her mind made up, the blonde haired woman started out her morning practices and worked hard until noon. She wanted to get all her duties done and over with so that she would have more time to relax.

She did not realize how this one single decision sealed her fate.

Nagisa slipped into one of her darker clothes and flared her chakra once to ensure no one she knew was nearby. Once she was satisfied, she compressed her chakra once more to make it easier to move around. However, just as she was about to leave, the young woman realized she definitely needed a backup plan just in case Kakashi or any of her teammates decided to drop by. She summoned one kage bushin who nodded, knowing that the clone's job was to remain as a watchman. Throwing her clone a salute, Nagisa slipped out of her apartment.

Her movements were minimal and confident. She had learned to move among shadows without being seen and disappear within a crowd in a matter of seconds as child. It was a skill she developed out of necessity and now was an asset to her in regards of her current occupation. For someone whose training focused heavily on heavy assault, Nagisa knew she had a pretty good foundation for assassination missions. The only reason she never fought to get her skill acknowledged was the acceptance that she could never take a life in cold blood.

Damn, she was getting depressed again.

Nagisa did not bother to quicken her steps or show any discomfort as a single wrong action could get the attention of the wrong crowd. These might be the streets she grew up in but she was more than aware of how dangerous they were.

In a blink of an eye, Nagisa disappeared completely from sight. Had anyone been watching her closely, they would not be able to point out where or when they lost sight of the young woman.

Nagisa slipped behind the door she was intimately familiar with. The brothel looked the same and the young woman sighed, comforted by the familiar sight. She nodded to some of the girls that she knew and slipped expertly into the room where Kaede-san could be found.

The woman in question blinked once in surprise before smiling at the grinning girl.

"Well, well, looked what the cat dragged in. It has not been that long since your last visit, Ruka-chan. I had not expected to see you at all," the proprietor of the establishment said.

Nagisa pouted playfully. "Honestly, mother, do you think that just because I received this hitai-ate I will forget where I came from? Even with this hitai-ate this is still my sanctuary."

Kaede's eyes sharpened at that. "You know you are not from here, Ruka-chan. Yes, you will always be able to call this your sanctuary but you know you were never destined for this life. You never belonged in the red light district."

Kaede could not bear the thought that Nagisa would believe even for a second that she was one of them. Nagisa was the daughter of the most amazing man Kaede ever had the chance of knowing and the most incredible woman Kaede had ever respected. It was bad enough that their daughter had one of the most traumatising childhood known but to have Nagisa think she belonged among the lowest class of society? Kaede could not accept that.

As though she knew what Kaede was thinking, Nagisa laid a calming hand on Kaede's shoulder and smiled.

"I might be the daughter of the daimyo for all I know but Mother, the only person who had ever looked at me was you. As long as you accept me that is enough."

Kaede smiled back at the sincerity she heard and she hugged the younger woman. "What brought you here today?"

"I have been feeling very off kilter. I just needed a recharge," Nagisa replied with a smile. Kaede smiled and nodded.

"Well, you can be here until we open officially. After that, stay in the back room. You can sleep in my room tonight. I don't want anyone walking in and finding you here."

Nagisa nodded and grinned. She could already feel her body relaxing in the familiarity of her sanctuary.

This was definitely a good idea.

XXX

This was definitely a terrible idea!

Nagisa looked at the innocent paper lying on the table between her and Kaede. The older woman simply massaged her head and sighed knowingly. She should have expected something like this. There was no way that man would let things be so easily.

The paper lying innocently on the table was delivered by a very well-known figure. Hatake Kakashi had come in and requested a meeting with Kaede. He had then passed her a letter and asked if she could deliver it to Ruka. He would come over in two weeks to see if Ruka had sent back any reply. He had thanked her graciously and left the establishment with a hidden smirk.

The whole thing was enough to give both women a headache.

Nagisa looked at the paper, her hands itching to grab the evidence that Kakashi still thought of her fondly. She missed him so much that the ache that had been subsiding a little came back in full force. Part of her wanted to start corresponding once more but the more rationale side of her knew this would only blow up in her face spectacularly.

"Ruka-chan, right now, I don't think we should take any action whatsoever. This is very sudden and honestly, I had not expected Hatake-san to pull this move at all. Go home, get comfortable and read the letter. Check what he wants. If he just wants to reconnect, I suggest rejecting him completely. The situation has gotten to this stage and it is very dangerous. If he finds out who you really are, he will not stop until he gets what he wants."

Nagisa looked at the woman she respected so much completely baffled. "But what does he want? I don't understand at all!"

Kaede winced inwardly. Honestly, for all the child had grown up to be a wonderful woman, she still lacked proper exposure to the deeper human emotions. Kaede truly had no idea how to go about education Nagisa on these. Right now though, there were far more important things to concentrate on.

The women agreed to deal with the problem after Nagisa read the letter. As it would be too bright soon, Nagisa decided to head back home first. Everything else was secondary. Without any thought, she slipped the letter into her pocket, hugged Kaede tightly and slipped out of the building once more.

She slipped back into her apartment without any problems. Nagisa dismissed her clone with a nod and decided that getting comfortable was far more important that reading the letter. In fact, anything that would keep her from reading the letter was definitely more important. If she could just ignore the blasted piece of paper, she could cling onto the fact that nothing will get Ruka back with Kakashi if only through paper conversations.

Nagisa threw her clothes haphazardly on the floor. Her movements were far from graceful as her mind raced over one possibility after another. Naked, she stood under the cold shower, her teeth clenching tightly against the cold. As the water heated, the young woman sank to the floor and held her knees closer to her chest.

Gods, what a mess!

At the first chance she was given to restart her relationship with Kakashi, she was already dying to take it. She knew! She knew how dangerous it was to start writing once more. A single careless sentence could doom her. If Kakashi ever found out she was Ruka…

Nagisa was too terrified to imagine what he would do. He would surely be furious. He would feel betrayed. Nagisa had continued communicating with him even though she knew who he was. He still had no idea who she was. How could he accept that his confidante was a child? How would he feel to know the person he was supposed to be able to trust with his heart and his life was one and the same? A cursed child?

He would hate her. She just knew that Kakashi would be enraged enough to hate her and she could not bear that. Not now. Not when she needed him the most.

Tears mingled with hot water. Nagisa did not bother rubbing them away, knowing that the tears would only help in a long run.

It took a long time for her to collect herself and by the time she was ready, the water had long since turned cold. Nagisa dried her chilled body mechanically and slipped into an oversized comfortable T-shirt that fell to mid-thighs and a clean pair of panties. Feeling comfy, she dried her hair and left the long mane hanging down her back as she grabbed the letter from her pants and cuddled on the bed. Once she was completely ready, she took a deep breath and opened the letter.

Her eyes scanned the words once, blinked and scanned them once more before blood simply drained from her face.

_**Ruka-chan,**_

_**Let's say hello face to face.**_

_**Kakashi**_

"Hello, Ruka."

XXX

Honestly, he could definitely see now why this woman was considered one of the most notorious pranksters in all of Konoha history. Not even Kushina-nee went this far during her time as a prankster. Kakashi could only thank his lucky stars that Nagisa did not cause complete havoc around Konoha after her graduation as the Kage Bushin could be abused in so many ways. Kakashi watched as the woman, who was currently driving him out of his mind, made a clone and slipped out of her apartment.

Kakashi followed her from a safe distance, making sure he tracked her by scent, sight and chakra. As a trained tracker, the former ANBU did not have much problem tracking her though he did lose sight of her many times. She was definitely talented in the art of disappearing from sight or using the crowd to hide. It was a good ninja skill, of course though Kakashi wished she did not have to learn it due to necessity. Either way, he needed to upgrade her skills in this department as there are other methods for tracking people.

He knew very well where she was headed. The moment she slipped into the red light district, he knew where she was headed. That did not make his heart beat normally. It do not lessen the feeling of sheer betrayal that coursed through his veins.

Damn her! Damn her! Damn her! Damn her!

And damn him as well for feeling happy that his Ruka was still around.

The first phrase of his mission was done. Now he knew he had to move to the second one.

So as the darkness blanketed the village and lights lit up every street, Kakashi walked casually into the brothel and gave Kaede his letter. He told her of the two week deadline to ensure Nagisa was not on guard. It will provide a false sense of security and Kakashi was relying on that to spring his trap.

He was glad that she did not leave in the middle of the night. Instead, Nagisa had spent the night there and left early in the morning, troubled. Kakashi followed her, undetected. He watched as his student went about her routine, distress obvious in every line of her body. So he watched and waited as she seemed to take her own sweet time before getting to his letter.

When Nagisa walked out of the bath dressed in the most provocative outfit he had ever seen, Kakashi almost lost his composure. He had never seen Nagisa as she looked right then. Her hair was still damp from the shower and was lose around her. The golden strands seem to shine as droplets of water stubbornly clung to them. Her young face was clean of any chemicals and her natural beauty was so painfully obvious. Her lithe frame was only covered by an oversized T-shirt that did nothing to hide the maturity of her body. Her breasts, unbound, could clearly be seen as the shirt clung to her. The shirt, a ridiculously thin white material was sheer enough that he knew she was not wearing any bra and the only material covering her womanhood from his eyes was a pair of bright orange panties. Her long slim legs were bare to his sight and Kakashi could only gulp as he eyed the tan skin before his eyes.

His sensei's daughter had definitely grown up really well.

Ah hell, his sensei was definitely going to kill him with the direction his thoughts were taking.

Kakashi could only berate himself mentally when he watched Nagisa climb onto the bed after retrieving the letter. Due to the way she moved, he caught a full view of her orange covered butt and he just knew that image was going to stay with him forever even without the aid of the sharingan.

'Focus, you idiot! This is my trap! If I don't spring it at the right time, it will be highly embarrassing!' Kakashi yelled at himself. The letter in Nagisa's hands was enough to prove she was Ruka. He had to confront her now or else lose the chance to understand everything that was going on. Though Kakashi could make a pretty good guess, it was better for Nagisa to also know that the gig was up.

The sight of Nagisa's pale face was his cue and Kakashi casually slipped onto the window sill.

"Hello, Ruka."

XXX

Nagisa had never turned her head as fast as she had when she heard Kakashi's voice. The sight of her sensei sitting casually on her window sill – a window she could have sworn was closed shut and locked – caused her trembling fingers to lose their hold on the letter. The paper fluttered down and lay face up, the words taunting her.

Nagisa just watched as Kakashi swung his legs over and stood in her room. He gave the place a quick glance before turning around and shutting the window. He pulled the ramen designed curtains close and leaned against the window to face her once more.

His eye took in the pale face of his student before landing on the letter. In a quick step, he was by her side and he picked up the letter, glancing at it once before focusing on Nagisa once more.

To her credit, Nagisa showed nothing outwards except for the paleness of her features. Her trembling fingers were curled up tightly and her eyes just kept watching him carefully. She said nothing and did nothing. The ball was in his court and they both knew it. Now, it was just a waiting game.

"So, Ruka? I did not realize you used to work at the brothel, Nagisa-chan?" Kakashi commented lightly though his cold gaze completely destroyed any notion that he might feel the whole situation amusing.

Nagisa kept quiet. There was nothing she could say now that will not incriminate her. Kakashi must have been watching her closely but she was very much confused. What on earth gave her away? Nagisa and Ruka were two very different people. Kakashi should not have been able to identify her. If he had known she was Ruka, he would have made it a point to confront her from the day she arrived back in the village. There must have been something she did that gave away her secret. Visiting a brothel was also highly impossible. Many shinobi did it and she did mention that she had a friend there. So what really gave her away?

She glanced at the shinobi standing at ease by her bed. He looked as though he could wait forever and if she knew anything about Kakashi, it was that when he was interested in something, he could be extremely patient. Nagisa sighed. She knew the only way this situation could be dealt with was by meeting the subject head on.

"Ruka was the name I was given when I hid in the brothel. Kaede-san did not want others to know I was hiding there. You know my henge is solid so it was easy to hide there in a henge as an older woman. How did you find out?" Nagisa asked, her steady voice a complete contrast to the nervousness her body displayed.

Kakashi simply sat on the bed and leaned against the wall still keeping an eye on his student. The confirmation from Nagisa own mouth sapped his strength away.

Gods above! He had been fantasizing about a child! All these years, he had been in love with a child! Kakashi rubbed his hair roughly. It doesn't matter that he did not know she had only been a child. Everything was so messed up.

"Your looks. There gave you away."

Nagisa blinked up in innocent confusion. "What do you mean? I always wear a bandanna and my jumpsuit hides my figure. As Ruka, I was always in a kimono and my whisker marks were always hidden. Plus, it has been years since you saw me as Ruka. How could my looks give me away?"

Kakashi looked at her, puzzled by her confusion. "Nagisa, what image did you use to create Ruka?"

Nagisa frowned a little and shrugged. "I just aged myself a little and exaggerated some features. There was no way for me to know for sure how I looked in a few years but I made an image based on the girls in the brothel. Flawless skin, big blue eyes, pink pouty lips, tall but not too tall, slim but with a generous bust. Things that attract the attention of men. Only difference is that kept my blonde hair but there are others with blonde hair as well."

Kakashi sighed deeply. "Honestly, sometimes I can't believe how naïve you are."

"Hey!"

"Listen! When you were younger, you might have imitated those looks. But don't you see how you look now? You have grown taller, just the ideal height of women your age. Your skin is flawless because of Kyuubi's healing chakra. Your blue eyes are natural and are naturally round, more catlike though. Your lips are full and have also maintained their natural pink colour. All the training has given you a naturally lithe body with a very generous bust. Nagisa, you are the only one I know with that shade of blonde in this village. No Yamanaka have that shade. You look exactly like Ruka four years ago. Have you forgotten that I spent many of my nights with you? I have memories of Ruka burned into my brain by the sharingan. I only realized you two were one and the same when I caught you bathing. I had never seen your hair down before because you always hid it under the bandanna. The whisker marks are negligible. That's how I knew you were Ruka."

Nagisa groaned and was about to say something when she noticed the way Kakashi was eyeing her. His deep grey eye kept trailing over her figure…

"Kakashi!" Nagisa yelled as she pulled the blanket up and around her body, covering her bare legs and chest from his sight. Her cheeks were dusted a faint red but her eyes were glacial as she gave him a warning look.

Kakashi smirked but put his hands up in a universal sign of surrender. They still needed to talk and he could ogle her all he wanted later.

"Hey, you can't blame a man for looking."

"I can when you could have come through the front door and allowed me the chance to dress for company!"

"You know better, Nagisa. You know as ninja we do not get such leeway."

"That blasted excuse is getting old, sensei!"

"It's a good and reasonable excuse. Anyways, as I was saying, your looks gave you up but I had subconsciously suspected something over time, I guess. I did spent the most time with you as Ruka compared to others. So I recognized a lot of her mannerisms in the little things you do."

Nagisa soaked up the warmth she could get from her blanket. She dearly wanted to ask what she did to remind Kakashi of Ruka but did not dare poke that particular sleeping lion. At any rate, it really did not matter. She was not Ruka. Ruka was only a character she created to survive. Kakashi was looking for Ruka and Nagisa knew she had to stop him by any means necessary.

Even if her heart ached at the thought.

"I am sorry I did not tell you I was Ruka. To be honest, I never expected you to end up as my genin sensei. I just knew I couldn't see you anymore after that. It would not be fair and it would also give me away. You are smart, sensei. You would have figured out I was Ruka if you kept seeing both of us especially after Wave when you discovered my true gender. So one had to disappear and I couldn't. For hurting your feelings though, I am very sorry," Nagisa finally said, getting to heart of the matter between them.

Kakashi said nothing for awhile, simply studying his student. Hearing her calling him smart though caused him to snort self depreciatingly.

"Smart? If I were smart, I would have noticed you were a girl. If I were smart, I would have realized there was a reason why Ruka was not considered a girl of the brothel. If I were smart, I would have known from the very beginning that it was odd that Ruka knew things about my team. I was so enamoured by her that I simply let pass the thought that she might even be a spy. I never thought I would be one to succumb to the will of a woman."

Nagisa squeaked and looked at her sensei in alarm. She was completely shocked to hear that Kakashi was in love with Ruka. But when she looked at her sensei's eye, Nagisa was forced to admit that there was something more intense in his gaze. Unable to hold his gaze for long, Nagisa looked down. Her fingers clenched the blanket around her tightly. She really did not know what to do.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I did not mean to…"

"I know. But it was inevitable really. You managed to catch my attention and keep it without barely any effort. But why did you start writing to me, Nagisa? Why did not start opening the lines of communication between Ruka and I? Why, Nagisa?" Kakashi implored, his eye catching her bewildered blue orbs and keeping them captive. He dared not reach for her for he knew! He knew if he touched her he would not be able to stop himself for pulling her into his arms. Right now, dealing with this delicate subject was far more important. He dared not risk frightening her.

"Because I knew you and I could see you hurting so badly. Have you forgotten what I wrote? You, who kept blaming yourself for the loss of your teammates and sensei. You were practically heading down the direction of letting three newly minted genin into the field without adequate training. Kakashi, you only started training us once I begged to."

"Was that it? Just because I was not training you, you started the talking to me again? Damn it, Nagisa!" Kakashi snarled, his hand hitting the wall behind him hard enough for there to be cracks even without the aid of chakra. The thought that she could be so selfish!

Nagisa growled back and in her anger, she ended up dropping the blanket to her lap. "How could you say that? Training us was important for the team and for you, you know that! Any mission could have gone wrong. Gods, Kakashi! The Wave mission was supposed to be a simple escort mission and look how badly that went. What about every mission we had after that. There was always always something to make the missions far more dangerous. What if you had kept us back in training? Where would we be, Kakashi? I shudder to think of the consequences of having any less training. We could have lost any one of us."

She dropped her head tiredly in her hands. "How would you have felt or dealt with it then? Losing Sasuke the way we did was enough to bring you down so badly. I couldn't be there for you as Ruka then. When I saw how badly you were handling Ruka's disappearance, I couldn't stay objective. You have been someone I looked up to, Kakashi. The year we spent together with me as Ruka was the best year of my life. I felt so safe around you. You told me so many things I knew you never admitted to others. It was a combination of all that I tried to help you from afar. I was not just using you, Kakashi. I would never have used you. I just couldn't stand seeing you so down. I couldn't…"

Kakashi sighed tiredly and rubbed his hand over his face. "Do you have any idea how hard I searched for you? How I begged Kaede to allow me to meet you? I fell in love with you, Nagisa."

Nagisa shook her head. "You were never in love with me, sensei. You were in love with Ruka. And Ruka does not exist."

The silver haired nin felt as though he was sucker punched by Gai. Looking at the bowed head of his student and the woman he loved, he wondered what he should do now. Should he pursue her? Ruka might have been the teenage form of his sensei's child. However, Nagisa was no longer a child. She was a sixteen year old young woman. True, the age gap between them was quite wide but Kakashi knew he could not imagine his life with another woman.

All these years, he had tried to forget Ruka. He had slept with many women during missions and he had tried to entertain the thought of dating. But there were no women who caught his eye or intrigued his mind. He could understand now why Ruka was so sweetly innocent. A child, for all the understanding of love, would not have recognized romantic love. Ruka had not seduced him as she did not think of him as anything more than a man in need to comfort. From what he knew and understood of her past, they had both given and taken comfort from each other. Now, he could really be grateful he had not pushed passed that comfort level. If he had pushed and found out she was only a child, Kakashi would not have been able to live with himself.

Now though, now she was not a child anymore. She was at the cusp of womanhood and Kakashi was damned if he stepped aside and allowed another man to hold this woman in his arms. While he knew Tsunade and Jiraiya – not to mention his sensei and Kushina-nee – would not be so happy that he had decided to pursue Nagisa, he also knew that they would be glad he was someone they could trust.

Any thought of letting her go had never been entertained in his mind. Kakashi had always been persistent when he wanted something and he wanted Ruka. Nagisa. Urgh! This was annoying, he thought to himself.

"After all these, after knowing how I could not forget Ruka, do you really think I will let you go, Nagisa?" Kakashi asked, curiousity heavy in his voice.

Nagisa frowned. "You are getting confused, Kakashi. Ruka was a character I created to stay safe. She was simply a character. Think of her as an infiltration method. Nothing more nothing less. I am not Ruka. I am Nagisa. You won't find Ruka, Kakashi. Just let me go. You know now that Ruka does not exist. At least, you can let go now, right?"

The tall man chuckled in weary amusement. "Do you really think that I can let go of you so easily? Nagisa, if letting you go was so easy, I would have done that years ago. Instead, like a complete idiot, I have been in love with a woman who I have not seen face to face for four years."

Nagisa looked far more alarmed now. "Kakashi! Open your eyes! I am not Ruka! I can't be Ruka for you! Please don't ask me that, Kakashi! Please!"

Kakashi frowned. He cupped her cheeks firmly preventing Nagisa from pulling away. Her wide blue eyes showed the slight hesitation in his action but he could also read the trust she had in him. She had always trusted him. It humbled him to know that one way or another, he had been her anchor and she had been his.

"I don't want you to be Ruka. I fell not for Ruka's looks or mannerisms. I fell for the way she understood me and soothe me. I fell for her smile and the glimmer in her eyes. I am not asking you to change, Nagisa. The things I fell for in Ruka are things that are already in you."

"Small things, sensei. But overall, it was the complete package that attracted you. I am not that package. I am not a sweet demure woman. I am not be a completely rambunctious genin anymore. I am not the woman you thought you know. Please sensei, let it go. Let me go. Let Ruka go. Holding on to her will only hurt you."

"And if I can't? And if I still think of you?"

Nagisa shook her head and tried to pull away once more but Kakashi's hands on her face stopped her movement immediately. She sighed and placed her hands on her sensei's.

"You never thought of me. You thought of Ruka, not me. You are not in love with me, sensei. I am sorry that my Ruka caught your heart. I am sorry to hurt you this way. But I am not her."

Kakashi leaned forward and for one terrifying moment, Nagisa thought he might kiss her. Instead he touched his forehead to hers and closed his eye. Nagisa closed her eyes as well, unable to see her sensei's face so close to hers.

"I am not giving up. I am going to show you that what I feel for you is real."

"Sen…"

"Shh… Let me say my piece. You don't trust me right now. I understand that. So I am going to make you understand. One way or another, I will show you how sincere I am. I am very grateful I knew Ruka and I am very happy that you decided to keep in touch with me after being my student. I will never regret how we met. But I am not giving you up either. So get ready, Nagisa. I have rarely failed when I put my mind onto something and this is something I really really want. I'll see you around," Kakashi whispered as he kissed her forehead gently before pulling away and disappearing out through her window.

Nagisa opened her eyes slowly minutes later. She fell on her bed and hugged her blanket against her chill form.

What was going to happen now?

She was terrified how far Kakashi would go to prove he was sincere.

She could only hope that in the meanwhile, he would realize he was not in love with her.

Nagisa ignored that small part of her that glowed at the thought of Kakashi loving her. When he realized how different she was from Ruka, he would inevitably stop and she did not want to hope that there could be someone who loved her in spite of everything.

XXX

Kakashi knew he was being stubborn but he was determined that this was an opportunity he was not letting go of. He slipped into the Hokage Tower and walked up to Tsunade's office. Kakashi smiled absently to Shizune and asked if Tsunade was free. Shizune blinked in confusion but nodded her head. She was about to announce him but he shook his head and headed over to knock on Tsunade's door. Hearing her call out, Kakashi steeled his nerves and opened the door, shutting it firmly behind him.

Tsunade frowned at her latest visitor. For Kakashi to use the door, this must be something serious. She glanced at Jiraiya, who looked just as confused as her. The Sannin looked back at Kakashi, who was shocked to see Jiraiya. A second later, the shock disappeared and a steely gaze took its place.

Now even more confused, the duo watched as Kakashi stood before them.

"What did you do, brat?" Tsunade immediately demanded a sinking feeling in her gut.

Kakashi winced. "Tsunade-sama, Jiraiya-sama, if I could have some time with you in private? I have something important to discuss."

The duo shared a look before Tsunade activated the privacy seals. Jiraiya straightened as well, looking ready to tackle any news Kakashi was about to give them.

"Talk, brat."

"I am in love with Nagisa."

Any news but that!

XXX

**Author's Note:  
Well! Finally! I have been trying to write this chapter for so long but nothing seemed to work! Honestly, I was so tempted to end this at 'Hello, Ruka' but I thought I should spare you guys that particular cliff hanger. **

**Thank you guys for your reviews! It means so much to me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well. I hope I have been able to capture the feelings from both Kakashi and Naruto. Hopefully I did not rush through them much. I don't think Kakashi would feel too betrayed mainly because Kakashi and Ruka were together for a year in a platonic relationship and the six months or so they communicated through letters, it had been more for comfort than anything else. And people in love tend to act irrationally. I just hope I managed to capture that. **

**Once again, thank you for reading and reviewing. Any constructive criticism is more than welcome. I love any advice to improve my writing. **

**Thank you for reading and have a great day! **


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